The Quest of the Chosen One
by BigBadWolfTardis
Summary: Ash Ketchum sets off on his quest to become a Pokémon Master. He encounters new friends, new rivals, new pokemon, and works in his goal of collecting gym badges and training his pokemon to their full potential. But with other forces at work all around him, can Ash step up to his destiny of being the Chosen One, or is the world doomed to be destroyed by darkness?
1. Love of the Father

**Hello! Yep, I've started another story, this one for Pokemon! This is a challenge story, my first one :), and it's set by bleach2121XX**

**Here are the rules;**

**Ash's father stays with him and Delia. His personality can be anything from an older copy of Ash to a complete opposite. Whatever it is will have a big part on Ash's childhood.**

***Ash will have to be mature, either from copying his father, or because of someone needing to be**

*** He is knowledgeable about Pokémon, and can recognize most of them on sight. He only uses the Pokedex for its other features, and to log it. (IE move scanner.)**

*** Ash is lucky, and the Pokémon he finds often have moves that were bred onto them**

*** you can make up plants, berries, materials**

*** He is more powerful than his allies, but around the same power as villains, if any**

*** Pokemon are not limited to 4 moves like the**

**games. If they know a move, they remember it till the end.**

*** Ash catches both Canon and non-canon Pokemon. **

***Legendary pokemon can be caught, but not easily, and they cannot be used on regular/weak trainers.**

***Pokemon are not limited to 4 moves like the games. If they know a move, they remember it till the end.**

***Ash catches both Canon and non-canon Pokemon**

**I'm not sure what my plan for this story is, but I hope everyone who reads it likes it. Please note that Pokemon is not mine, nor are the rules to this challenge. And without further ado, Let's get on with the show!**

**...**

**The Quest of the Chosen One**

**Love of the Father**

All across the beautiful world named Planet Earth; all sorts of legends were told about the mysterious creatures known as Pokémon. Some of them were purely fictional, but some of them weren't, and the hidden, preciously known one referring to a place called the Hall of Origin certainly wasn't. It was a dimension high above the Earth, it was the great creator's own dimension, it was the home of Arceus.

Arceus is said to have hatched from an egg cast out of another reality, and when it hatched to find itself in a dimension void of matter, it wanted company, and so brought five more life forms into existence. He used his own will to force various gifts onto his creations, and shaped them into a living creature he saw fit. The end reason was five creature similar to himself, yet different. He gave them all their own name, and title.

Dialga, Ruler of Time.

Palkia, Ruler of Space.

Giratina, Ruler of Matter

Zekrom, Ruler of Darkness

Reshiram, Ruler of Light

He himself took the name Arceus, Ruler of All. But he wasn't power hungry and evil; he wanted to live in a universe of happiness, filled to the brim with beauty and life. And so he created something new. A burning of heat and light. He named it, the sun. He then realised that no of his creations had anything to live on and so he brought into existence many various elements. He thought of more and more, and eventually they mixed and exploded around everywhere, until stars and moons and planets formed, but they were all empty.

And so he chose one of the planets, the third from the sun so that it wouldn't burn anything he made there, but would still fill its warmth. He landed on the empty planet and willed three more creatures into life. They would be strong enough to shape a planet, but not enough to pose a threat to him. The first formed a large cloudy atmosphere using the elemental gases around the planet to live in and keep the planet save. The second roared loudly and caused huge landmass all around the planet to rise up. The third didn't like this, so it responded by causing huge storms to break out and flooded the planet with one of Arceus basic elements, water. It flowed around the crevasses left by the second life form and formed huge seas.

Sensing there would be everlasting conflict, Arceus decided to separate them by sealing them away into slumbering statues, and buried them in the land and sea they had respectively created. He then asked the first life form to keep them in balance forever. He granted all three of them titles and names of their own.

Rayquaza, Creator of the Sky

Groudon, Creator of the Land

Kyogre, Creator of the Sea

But some of his first creations didn't like this. They were happy being the only life forms in existence, and wanted Arceus to stop before he created anything else, but wanting a universe where many could live in happiness and joy, Arceus refused. Three of the original five turned on him, whilst Dialga and Palkia remained faithful. Arceus effortlessly defeated the three traitors, and punished them severely for their betrayal. He trapped Giratina in a pocket dimension, where without Dialga and Palkia's influence, Time would be warped and Space would be unstable. It was the ultimate prison where the rules of his new reality wouldn't apply. Zekrom and Reshiram were transformed into small rounded stones, Reshiram a pure white stone, and Zekrom a jet black one. As gifts for their loyalty, Arceus granted Dialga and Palkia their own private pocket dimensions in which they could control everything, with the ability to return to his dimension whenever they wished to visit.

He then turned back to the planet he was shaping. He wanted his creations to feel more than anything he had created so far could. He wanted them to experience love, happiness, excitement, but also sadness, loss, and pain to keep them pure. He wanted them to be able to care for themselves and others, and to have the knowledge to do this. He also wanted them to have not only free will, but the will to do anything they set their minds too. And so he brought three more beings into existence. He spaced them out over one of the continents Groudon had created, sealing them in lakes created by Kyogre. Once again, he gave them names.

Mesprit, Spirit of Emotions

Azelf, Spirit of Will Power

Uxie, Spirit of Knowledge

So far every creature that Arceus had created had been unique, but he wanted to help the planet move along quicker, and so to aid in this, he brought a whole new species of creation into being. He divided them into two, and gave them two different gender types. He had made it so that their biology allowed them to reproduce, and eventually small tribes known as Human Being began to form.

But knowing that his humans would not be able to stand up to his other creations, Arceus quickly made new creatures and blessed them with strong powers to protect humans and their follow kind alike. He modelled them on Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre, but thanks to the influence of Mesprit, Azelf, an Uxie, they remained in harmony with each other.

Ho-oh, Guardian of the Sky

Lugia, Guardian of the Sea

Regigigas, Guardian of the land

But Arceus known that this would be a difficult task for the three of them to maintain balance across the entire planet alone, and so he granted them three Titians each to do their bidding and to watch other humanity as it evolved. He granted Ho-oh three creatures similar yet less complex in design to itself that would keep it updated on the happenings on the land.

Entei, the Beast of Volcanos

Suicune, the Beast of Wind

Raikou, the Beast of Thunder

Lugia, who stayed beneath the water and swan in its currents needed a way to stay inn communication with Ho-oh, and so was granted three creators which could do this for him.

Zapdos, the Titan of Lightning

Moltres, the Titan of Fire

Articuno, the Titan of Ice

And Regigigas needed scouts to be situated far away from him, and to keep at least one of the other continents inn balance whilst he did the same for the homeland. And so Arceus created him three Regis, forming them from three basic elements.

Regirock, the Regi of Rock

Registeel, the Regi of Steel

Regice, the Regi of Ice

Arceus was tiring now, he had created some much in a rapid amount of time, and so before he slept, he created two final beings to do his bidding. One to fill the planet with hundreds of different, yet less powerfully creatures, the other to cover the world in vegetation to protect its beauty.

Mew, the Ancestor of Life

Shaymin, the Founder of Nature

Using the last of his energy, Arceus created a dimension high above his masterpiece of a planet, before he fell into a sleep that lasted many thousands of years.

But some say that he never stopped watching his world, even whilst in slumber, and that he was joyed by the happiness that all life felt there.

…

'And that's how our world came to be son' a man finished his story will a broad smile. He had raven black hair and warm brown eyes, and a smile that made many girls go weak at the knees. He was broadly built, and quite tall. His adventurous spirit matched his looks perfectly, and seven years before his life had been made complete. He had won the heart of the girl of his dreams, and two years later they had married and had a child together. And tomorrow would be his son's fifth birthday.

'Whoa, that's so cool dad, will you tell me again?' his son asked him very excitedly. The man laughed loudly at the boy's enthusiasm when it came to pokemon. His wife was right; their boy had got that from him for sure.

'Not now son, you need to get to sleep now. You don't want to be tired for your birthday tomorrow do you?' he asked with a laugh.

'No, I don't want that. Especially since you promised you'd take me to Professor Oak's gardens' the boy reminded his dad quickly. The man loved his son very much, but he also loved teasing him a lot too, and couldn't pass up the opportunity.

'I did? I honestly can't remember saying that' he pulled a thoughtful face. The boy's in front of him dropped in horror.

'But Dad! You promised!' he whined loudly, before he scowled as he father started to laugh.

'Sorry, I couldn't resist' he laughed, and soon his son joined in too.

'But yes, I'm taking you to work with me tomorrow, so you'll need to be up early. And to get up early, you need to get some sleep now, agreed?' he asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Yeah, goodnight Dad' the boy said as he lied back on his pillow.

'Goodnight Ash' the man said as he pressed a kiss on his son's forehead. As he closed the door behind him, Dominic Ketchum smiled brightly, really looking forward to spending the whole of his son's day with him tomorrow.

…

And what a great day it was too. Ash had woken up at half past six in the morning, by jumping on his sleeping parents mind you, who had taken their hyper active son for some breakfast and to give him his presents. They had got him a lot of pokemon related toys, which he adored and was very grateful for. Dom's smile threatened to break his face when Ash excitedly told him and his mother how he wanted to be the best pokemon trainer ever. His wife, Delia, had pretended to moan in horror, claiming that Dom had converted their son into a little adventurer as well. Both her boys had laughed at her joking, and then she bid them farewell as Dom took their little boy to his place of work, Professor Oak's laboratory.

Ash had been so excited to go there. Delia had never let Dom take him there before, claiming that he was too young to be around so many pokemon, but now that he was five, she had decided to relent, after Dom had spent weeks trying to persuade her that was. Dominic had worked with Professor Oak since they were both younger, and together they had made many breakthroughs in some of the mysterious surrounding pokemon. Eventually Professor Oak had offered him a partnership in the lab and he had accepted. Now he cared for the pokemon in the gardens, and helped Professor Oak with all the Pokémon League paperwork and general research. The professor had been more than happy to let him take Ash there on his birthday, but Dom suspected it was more to do with having an excuse to ditch his paperwork and have some fun outside with the two of them.

Dom had shown Ash around the extensive grounds, and pointed out the various pokemon that lived there. Many they were wild pokemon that Oak had allowed to make their homes there, such as Pidgey, Rattata, Caterpie, and Weedle, and some of their evolved forms too. But there was also some more interesting and rarer pokemon that had been caught by Pokémon Trainers and were under Professor Oak's and Dom's care at the lab, as part of their work for the Pokémon League.

Ash had been so happy to see two Arcanine and three puppies Growlithe caught by the daughter of one of Delia's old school friends, and had been over the moon to see a Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Rhydon, Tangela, and even the rare and elusive Chansey that one lucky boy had managed to catch.

Then the two men had entertained him further by having a pokemon battle. Of course, Ash was too young to do any of the battling, but he enjoyed watching the battle a lot anyway. He cheered loudly as his dad's cool Blastoise managed to pull a victory over Professor Oak's awesome Dragonair. Most people lost instantly to the unusual pokemon, but his father had been a very accomplished pokemon trainer in his youth, and his Blastoise had been his first pokemon when it was a Squirtle. Ash loved that Blastoise, almost like a big brother, and he had always counted the large bulky pokemon as part of the family, along with his dad's other pokemon.

In the evening, Professor Oak had given him a treat of letting him ride of one of the Ponyta had kept at the lab, and he had laughed loudly as he felt the rushing of the air flowing through him as Ponyta charged like a bolt of lightning. His dad had only let him ride for ten minutes, and when he lifted Ash off the pokemon's back, he told him not to tell his mother, which Ash and Professor Oak both laughed at.

When they returned home, Ash was surprized to see that his mother had arranged a party for him, and he invited his school friends, Daisy and Gary Oak, along with some of his cousins and family members to celebrate it. And by the time Ash went to bed, he was full of birthday cake, and was smiling as he dreamt of having his own pokemon someday.

…

Two years had passed and that's when Dom had come down a little tougher on his son. In three short years Ash would be leaving on his pokemon journey, and he wanted to make sure that his son was ready for it.

He wasn't overly harsh, but he did make Ash study pokemon for at least one hour every night. Ash had grumbled about it, but with his parent posing a united front, he had little choice in the matter. And his mood had sure lifted when Dom told him that that he'd be having practical lesson every Saturday too. Dom took him to the lab every Saturday morning so that Ash could study the pokemon in real life and not just in books. That sure made it more interesting, and it raised some questions which Ash had to research to get the answers too.

Eventually he had learnt which pokemon were found where in which region, what types were strong against which and which they were weak against. He also learnt how to prepare pokemon food and how to care for them in the best way. By the time Ash was nine, Dom was very impressed by how much he knew, and was very proud of his son for learning everything that his parents had wanted him too and much more.

He had also learnt how to handle pokemon in battle, using his dad's pokemon. Of course Ash knew that it would take a lot of time and hard work before any pokemon he got was at the same level, but it still helped him a lot to practice using the various pokemon techniques, abilities, and moves. It helped him strategize more and eventually he had managed to beat Dom's Blastoise in battle. Of course Dom had pointed out that he hadn't really won since he had used _his_ pokemon, but Ash wouldn't hear of it.

They had of course schooled him in how to take care of himself too, and had taught him how to manage his money as well. That would be very important when he was on his journey and had to battle trainers for money. All in all, by the time it was the night before Ash's tenth birthday, and the day that he would receive his first pokemon and begin his journey, Dom was confident that Ash knew enough to take care of him and do well in his adventures.

…

With a loud blaring noise next to him, Ash's hand slammed down on his alarm clock, shutting it off and stopping the noise pounding his ears. He yawned as he sat up and stretched. It was early in the morning, so it was a good thing that his dad had literally forced him to go to bed early last night. It had taken Ash a while to fall asleep, but he was happy that his Dad had done it, sleeping in today just wouldn't do.

For today was the day that Ash Ketchum was finally getting to start his own pokemon adventure. He couldn't wait, and that was why had dressed at break-neck speed, wearing a black polo-shirt under a blue and white jacket and jeans, a red cap over his messily black hair. He raced down the stairs, where he literally ran into his beaming parents.

'Happy Birthday Ash!' his mom and dad cried together.

'Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad' he said, giving them both a quick hug.

'I've pack up everything you need in this, and on the table is your present' his Mom grinned, holding up a large green backpack. Ash gulped as he looked at it, it sure looked heavy, he but knew he'd be needing a lot if this journey was to be a success. Maybe he should try to find a pokemon that could carry it for him…

'Nice dear, real nice, packing his bags for him on his tenth birthday, like you're trying to get rid of him' Dom smirked at her.

'That's rubbish and Ash knows it! I just want him to be prepared!' she replied as Dom and Ash both laughed. Oh they drove her crazy, but she loved her boys very much.

'Anyway, go on, open your present!' Dom said to his son excitedly, and Ash grinned as he tore of the wrapping paper. His eyes widened as he saw what was inside. A small red hand-held device which Ash immediately know to be a pokedex.

'My first Pokedex' he said in awe. Dom grinned even wider.

'Not just a pokedex Ash! It has the National-Dex feature. It'll record information about pokemon from the other regions' Dom told him with a wide grin.

'Oh course, you'll be travelling around Kanto for now so you don't really need it, but we thought you'd like it if you could see information on any pokemon from another region you might spot' Delia added.

'Thanks' Ash said as he hugged them both again. As his mom looked at the clock as the hug ended, she quickly turned to her husband.

'You two had better get a move on. Professor Oak will be giving out the pokemon any minute and if Ash isn't there, he might not be able to get one' she said in a tone that suggested she was holding back tears.

'Dear, there's twenty minutes yet' Dom said wide eyed. Delia always had held the belief it was better to be an hour early than a minute late, whilst he was a little more relaxed. But Delia wasn't giving any ground, and picked up the family car keys off the hall table, before she pressed them into his hand.

'Go… now. Ash needs to get a suitable pokemon or he won't be leaving on a journey today' she said firmly, and smirking at each other, Dom and Ash nodded before heading for the front door. Ash turned back to her as his dad went out ahead of him.

'Bye Mom, I'll miss you, and I'll call you from the next town' Ash said smiling a sad yet excited smile.

'You'd better, and I'll miss you too honey' Delia smiled as she hugged him again. When they broke apart again, Ash smiled before he turned and walked towards the car, getting into the passenger's seat. She waved until the car was out of sight, before she let out a small sob. She would miss Ash greatly, but she knew he had to do this, and she didn't want to stand in his way because she knew it would cause him to hate her. She just prayed her little boy would keep himself safe.

…

'So, do you know what pokemon you're going to pick yet?' Dom asked his son excitedly as he drove the familiar route to his workplace. He was glad he'd be there to witness first-hand his son picking out his starter pokemon, many parents didn't get that chance and he was glad that he did.

'I think so, and I think you'd be happy with it' Ash nodded seriously. He had given his choices weeks of consideration, and he managed to finally make his selection. It helped a lot knowing so much about pokemon, and he was very glad that his father had made him do all the studying when he was younger. It would certainly help him out a lot now.

'Go on, tell me' Dom grinned sideways at him as he drove on.

'Nope, you'll just have to wait and see' Ash shook his head teasingly.

'Spoilsport! But the joke's on you, you little monster, cause we've arrived. I'll see in just a few seconds' Dom stuck his tongue out as he drove up to the car park just outside of Professor Oak's Lab. He used his work key to let them in, and led Ash straight to the room he had dubbed 'The Selection Room'. It was really just the upstairs research room, but since all the starters were picked there, Dom had taken to calling it that.

'Ah Dominic, I see you've brought our first new trainer with you. Greetings young man' Professor Oak smiled warmly at the two of them.

'Hi Professor Oak' Ash grinned at him as he dad smiled and walked over to a hat stand, taking off his leather jacket and replacing it with his long white lab-coat.

'Hello Ash. I must say you're early, a remarkable attitude to have on a day such as this' the Professor smiled again, as he walked over to a strange sort of white altar.

'So, have you decided which of the three pokemon on offer you will take with you to start your quest?' Professor Oak asked. Instead of Ash though, it was Dom who answered.

'Yes he has, and he won't even tell his own father, little monster' the younger man pouted. Professor Oak laughed as Ash stuck his tongue out at his dad.

'Well I'm sure you'll see in a moment. Ash?' Professor Oak turned back to him.

'I've thought a lot about this professor Oak, and the pokemon that I'd like to be my partner is this one…' he said, picking up a pokemon with a blue water-drop sticker on it.

'I see… oh dear, I can see this blowing up' the Professor smiled slightly.

'Why Professor?' Ash asked cautiously, afraid that he wouldn't be allowed to have this pokemon for some reason.

'Well, I spoke to Gary last night, and he told me that he wanted to pick that pokemon' the professor chuckled. Ash growled slightly. That was so like Gary, wanting the pokemon that he wanted. And of course Professor Oak would side with him, Gary was his grandson!

'But you got here first and we can't hold pokemon specifically for one person. Gary will have to do with one of the others' the Professor carried on, and Ash let out a sigh of relief.

'I hate to interrupt, but what pokemon is it?!' Dom asked in a slightly raised voice, and Ash laughed.

'Sorry Dad, meet my new partner pokemon… Squirtle, come on out!' he cried, throwing the pokeball forwards. It span through the air and hit the ground, opening to release a red beam of light. It flew back to Ash's hand as the beam took shape, and became the pokemon held in the pokeball.

The pokemon standing before them was small and very cute. It was bright blue in skin colour, and was inside a brown and yellow shell. Its tail was curled and its eyes were brown. It looked up at Ash curiously, and Ash smiled as he knelt down before it.

'Hi Squirtle, my name's Ash and if you want, you can come with me on a great adventure to become a Pokémon Champion' he said warmly. Squirtle let out a loud cheer as he jumped up into Ash's arms and Ash hugged his new friend close, laughing happily.

'Ash I am so proud of you, you picked the same starter I did!' Dom grinned ecstatically. He then had a great idea, and quickly called out a pokemon of his own.

'Blastoise, come on out!' he cried, and the large blue tortoise formed next to him.

'Blastoise, take a look at who Ash picked as his starter pokemon' he grinned, and Blastoise turned towards Ash, his mouth forming a large small as he saw who the kid's pokemon was. Squirtle looked up at the larger pokemon in awe. He'd never seen a pokemon so big before.

'Squirtle, one day you'll evolve into a Wartortle, and then into a Blastoise. You'll be just like Dad's Blastoise' Ash grinned.

'That is of course if you're a good enough trainer Ash. Remember your father has had many years' experience in raising his pokemon, and that Blastoise was his very first one' Professor Oak reminded him.

'I know Professor, I know that making this journey a success will be a lot of hard work, but I've studied a lot, and I have a lot of ideas and plans on how to train this guy to be as strong as he could be. Plus I'm going to really work hard on catching some other friends for my team' Ash assured him. Professor Oak looked mildly taken aback, but that was because he had rarely seen a young boy so knowingly accept that it would not be an easy task that he was undertaking. He smiled suddenly, before turning to Dom.

'You sure taught him well Dom, perhaps I should have made Gary do the same to prepare him too' Oak wondered to himself.

'Speaking of Gary, I think I'll go before he shows up. I don't want him to start having a go at me because I picked Squirtle first' Ash said quickly.

'Squirtle?' he asked, tilting his head to one side.

'Another boy like me wanted to pick you, but I wanted you some much I came and got you first' Ash smiled down at him. Squirtle held his head up proudly, he already like his new trainer a lot.

'Don't you worry about Gary Ash; I'll make sure he knows that you picked that Squirtle fair and square. Well, I guess all there is left to do is to give you these' the Professor smiled as he handed Ash five red and white pokeballs. These ones were all empty, which meant he could catch a whole team of pokemon to carry with him. Anymore would be sent back here to Professor Oak and his Dad for now.

'Good Luck Ash, I'm sure that if you work hard, you'll make a fine trainer' Professor Oak said with one more encouraging smile, before he walked out of the room to give the father and son some privacy to say their goodbyes. Ash returned Squirtle to his pokeball and Dom did the same with Blastoise so that they could have this moment with just each other.

'Ash… ever since you were born, I was worried that I would mess things up for you. But now I know, just looking at you now, I know you're ready son; I love you' Dom said as he hugged his son close.

'Thanks Dad, it's thanks to you that I'm ready. If I didn't have you, I wouldn't know even half the things I do now. I love you too, and I'll miss you' Ash said as he hugged his dad back. He then stepped back, before things got overly sappy.

'Good Luck Ash, and if anything goes wrong, you can always, always come back home. And you better call me young man. I want to arrange a battle with you someday soon' Dom's cheeky grin returned as he led his son to the door.

'Goodbye Dad, I promise I'll make you proud of me' Ash called back after he took a few steps out the door, off into his whole new adventure.

'I already am' Dom whispered as Ash got further and further away from him. He then closed the door and tried to bury himself in his work, but already he missed Ash. He'd just have to keep finding excuses to go and meet up with him. One thing was for certain, he'd help his son in any way possible. What Dom had no way of knowing was just how much Ash was going to need it.

**...**

**And that's the first chapter of this story : ) Now, as begins go I'm not too sure about this one, but it's the best I could get it too. It's mainly about showing Ash's childhood with a loving father, but I wanted to get through it quickly so I can get straight into the adventure next chapter. There will be flashbacks and scenes from Ash's childhood will come up. Anyway, Please leave me a review so I know what you all think. I'm not sure when I'll update this next, because most of my attention goes into my Doctor Who stories. Hope you enjoyed : )**


	2. Waterflowers and Oaks

**Wow! I'm astonished by the amount of viewings the first chapter of this got : ) I really hope this story will keep it up! Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far : ) Anyway, this chapter shows Gary and Misty for the first time, and their characters are quite different to the show. Anyway, I hope you like and please leave a review : )**

**...**

**Waterflowers and Oaks**

Ash couldn't keep the huge grin off his face. He was finally starting his own journey. Ten long years of waiting were finally over, and it was really happening! That was just fantastic! And to put the cherry on the cake, he'd beaten Gary by picking out his starter pokemon first. Thank god for alarm clocks and mothers that made you leave the house early!

It was as he was walking up the winding path to the edge of Pallet Town that Ash's thoughts turned to the occupied pokeball on his belt. He knew that he had to build up a lot of trust with Squirtle. After all, most pokemon would battle for their trainers, but Ash didn't want just that. He wanted to be friends with his pokemon. He wanted to be just like his dad, who had such a strong bond with his pokemon that they could battle for him without him even giving them any instruction, they just knew what he'd want them to do.

And he knew that in order to achieve that, he had to spend as much time with his pokemon as possible. And so with that thought in mind, Ash made his decision.

'Squirtle! Come on out!' he cried as he plucked the pokeball of his belt and threw it through the air, releasing the blue turtle pokemon.

'Squirt' (Hello!) he greeted, looking up at Ash with a smile.

'Hey Squirtle' Ash returned the smile as he knelt down to Squirtle's level. Squirtle looked at him curiously, tilting his head to the side.

'I thought it would be fun to play together for a bit' Ash told him brightly, and Squirtle's smile widened, before he smirked devilishly and blew several bubbles in Ash's face.

'Argh! Hey!' Ash laughed as Squirtle run off ahead of him, blowing bubbles back at Ash whilst laughed. Ash grinned and chased after him.

'Squirtle!' (Ha-ha!) Squirtle cried again, firing another wave of bubbles at Ash. It didn't hurt, but it was drenching him, and tickled quite a lot. It was a good thing that Squirtle was only a young pokemon, and his attacks couldn't do much damage yet.

'I'm gonna get ya!' Ash laughed as he sprinted up the path after Squirtle. Squirtle rolled up into his shell and began rolling ahead of him. Ash paused for a second, thinking about how useful that could be in battle, before he laughed again as bubbles began pouring out of all the holes in the shell.

'You can't get away!' Ash laughed as he chased after him. He put on an extra burst of speed, and caught up with the rolling shell, grabbing it up and holding Squirtle in his hands. Squirtle's arms, legs, tail and head popped out the shell again.

'You think you're clever little guy, well I am too' Ash laughed before he began tickling Squirtle's belly, causing the turtle pokemon to giggle and squirm slightly. After a few moments filled with laughter, Ash stopped and placed Squirtle on the ground.

'You know something; I think if we work together, we'll make an awesome team. What d'ya think?' Ash grinned down at his partner pokemon.

'Squirtle!' (That's Right!) Squirtle cheered, holding his hand up in a victory pose. Ash laughed slightly in response. Yep, this was everything Ash thought having a pokemon would be like and more. Already he could tell that he and Squirtle were going to get on brilliantly.

'Hey! You!' a voice suddenly bellowed from the pathway behind them, causing Ash to turn around in alarm. A boy roughly his age but slightly taller, with spiky brown hair and wearing a purple jumper and blue jeans was stomping up the path towards Ash and Squirtle, a furious expression on his face.

'Oh no' Ash groaned. That boy was Gary Oak, and he had a major attitude problem.

'Ash Ketchum! Hand over my pokemon!' Gary shouted, getting right in Ash's face. The black haired boy took a small step back.

'What are you talking about?' Ash asked, genuinely bewildered.

'I wanted to pick that Squirtle. I planned my entire journey out based on my starter, and when I get to the lab, I find out that _you_ had already taken it!' Gary fumed. Ash fought very hard to keep the smirk off his face, before he calmly replied.

'Well tough, I picked Squirtle, fair and square. I'm not giving him to you or anybody else' Ash told him firmly. Gary's eyes narrowed.

'If you don't… I'll take it myself' he said dangerously. Ash was losing his patience now, glaring back at the brown haired boy.

'Gary…' he said in a warning tone. But Gary took no notice.

'Right, have it your way, I'll get my rightful partner once I've beat it in a pokemon battle' Gary declared proudly, bringing up a pokeball from out of his pocket. Ash's eyes widened slightly rather surprized that his first battle would be against Gary, the school bully, before a sense of anger overtook him.

'Hey! If you've already got a pokemon, what d'ya want with Squirtle?!' Ash snapped at him. Gary huffed and glared at him.

'The pokemon I got was a leftover! A 'Non-starter' which my gramps only called it to placate me, but I don't want it! I want that Squirtle! And so I'll use this runt to get it and you can have it instead!' Gary shouted, before he threw the pokeball towards the ground, releasing his own pokemon.

The red light of the pokeball formed into the shape of a small rodent shaped pokemon, and when the light died down, Ash could see it's colouring. It was bright yellow with brown and black markings on it. It had bright red cheeks, and a lightning bolt shaped tail. It glared up at both the humans near it.

Ash recognised it instantly, it was a Pikachu, and judging by the look on its face, one with an attitude problem. Clearly a perfect match for Gary in Ash's book.

'See! It's a Pikachu! Most trainers get a Bulbasaur, Charmander or a Squirtle! I want that Squirtle!' Gary shouted. Pikachu glared up at him.

'Pikachu, Pika, Chu, Chu, Pikachu!' (I'm not thrilled to be with you either!) Pikachu glared at him.

Ash narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't want to forfeit his friendly Squirtle for an angry Pikachu, but as a water type pokemon, he was at the disadvantage. But he knew from battling his father that types didn't always determine a battle, so he quickly got his wits together.

'Alright, if you insist Gary, we'll battle' Ash said quickly, keeping his calm to try and think of a strategy.

'Too right we will' Gary smirked, before he quickly got down to business.

'Pikachu! Thunder Punch!' Gary ordered. Ash's eyes widened slightly. If that Pikachu knew Thunder Punch, it must have had it bred into it from its parents. He wondered if Squirtle knew any egg moves too, and quickly brought out his Pokedex whilst shouting out to Squirtle.

'Squirtle, dodge it and use Tackle!' he cried. Squirtle didn't have to dodge though, seeing as Pikachu refused to attack. It merely sat down and yawned, ignoring Gary completely.

'Squirtle, Squirt, Squirt, Squirtle' (I remember you, you're that nasty pokemon from the lab)

'Pika, Pikachu, Pika, Chu, Chu, Pikachu' (Yeah, and you're that stupid one that now serves a human)

Squirtle glared at Pikachu, before he dashed forwards and rammed into the yellow rodent hard, knocking him back across the ground.

Meanwhile, Ash quickly scanned Squirtle with his pokedex, before bringing up the data concerning his pokemon.

'Information: -

Species - Squirtle

Nickname – None registered

Gender – Male

Level – 5

Learnt Move-Set – Tackle, Tail Whip

Egg Move-Set – Muddy Water

Registered Information - It shelters itself in its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity.

Ash closed the pokedex and turned back to the battle. Pikachu had now lain down on the grass on his back, whilst Gary yelled at him to obey him. Ash smirked slightly.

(Since Squirtle knows how to use Muddy Water, I'll show Gary he can't try and take my pokemon!) Ash thought to himself before he cried out to Squirtle.

'Squirtle, use Muddy Water!' he ordered, and grinning, Squirtle drew back into his shell, and within seconds, a jet of dirty brown water shot out from the hole his head poked through. The jet of water hit Pikachu head on, sending it flying back into a tree. He hit it with a small groan on pain, sliding down the truck to the floor.

He slowly picked himself up and glared at Squirtle, whose head and limbs poked out from his shell again.

'Pikachu!' (You'll pay for that) Pikachu glowered at the blue pokemon, before it hugged his arms to his body, his cheeks glowing and his fur cackling as he glowed with a bright yellow light.

'Uh oh' Ash whispered. He knew that attack, it was a Thundershock attack.

'CHU!' (NOW!) Pikachu screamed, before the light exploded outwards, illuminating everything in sight. It tore through the air, up into the sky, hitting several trees in the process.

'ROW!' (ARGH!) A high pitch voice crowed loudly from high in the tree. As the light died, Ash quickly took in his surroundings.

Both he and Squirtle had escaped the burst of electricity, as had Gary. But high up in the tree, a small browned feathered bird pokemon had been hit, and its sharp eyes narrowed dangerous, an angry vein popping in its forehead.

'Oh no! A Spearow!' Ash cried in fear. His dad had warned him to stay away from Spearow. They were extremely volatile and dangerous when they flocked together. And the Spearow was now screaming loudly. It wouldn't be long before a whole flock of them appeared!

'Now look what you did!' Gary shouted at Pikachu.

'Pikachu! Chu! Chu! Pika! Chu! (Shut up! It wasn't my fault!) Pikachu shouted back.

Ash didn't have time to listen to the two of them arguing, he had to get away from here before anymore Spearow turned up.

'Squirtle return!' Ash called, and Squirtle was swept up into his pokeball in a beam of red light. And then he was running, sprinting as fast as his muscles would allow. He could hear them already, the sound of wings in the air, before they all began screeching and shrieking loudly.

'SPEAROW! SPEAR! ROW! SPEAR! ROW!' (Attack! Attack! Attack!)

Ash chanced a look back over his shoulder, seeing Gary and Pikachu being surrounded by a crowd of the angry bird pokemon.

'Oh yeah! You'll threaten Gary Oak with you! I'll show you, Pikachu, attack!' Gary roared in anger. Pikachu just smirked, before he hit Gary with a Thunder Punch.

'ARGH!' Gary yelled as he flashed with a bright light, before falling to the ground, shaking as electricity coursed through him. Meanwhile the Spearow had all began flapping their wings very fast, and moments later a powerful gust of wind was being aimed at the fallen trainer and the yellow pokemon. Before Ash's very eyes, both Gary and Pikachu were swept up into the air, before they were blown across the sky and out of sight.

Ash felt a little sorry for the two of them, but there was nothing he could do to help them now and not wanting to be next on the Spearow's list, he kept running up the path, further and further away from them. Soon he was a long distance from the flock, which had barely even noticed him, and he slowed back down to a normal pace, breathing easily now that the threat of a flock of angry birds had been lifted from his head.

He soon came to the river which ran all the way through pallet town. He used to play in it with his dad's Blastoise when he was younger. He smiled slightly as he thought that one day he could have a Blastoise too.

He knew that in order to reach the next city, Ash had to climb down a small cliff face by the waterfall. He knew from experience that if he just dived off the edge into the pool below, he'd be fine. And so with that thought in mind, he slowly stepped into the river, wading his way through crystal blue water. He came to the waterfall, and peering down into the pool a few metres below, he took a deep breath, before he leapt over the edge, and plunged into the pool below.

He was under the water when it happened. Something wrapped around his ankle, holding it tight. But it didn't feel too strong, and fearing it was a pokemon trying to keep him below the surface, Ash kicked out. He heard a muffled yell and a splash, and turning in the water, Ash saw that it wasn't a pokemon, but a girl.

A girl who looked the same age as him, with bright orange hair and emerald green eyes was in the water, a shocked expression etched onto her face. She was wearing a yellow top and a red bag, and a denim style skirt. A fishing rod was in her hands, and following the wire on the end of it with his eyes, Ash saw that it was that which was wrapped around his ankle.

He saw the girl swimming up to the surface, she was a very good swimmer he noticed, and then feeling a little dizzy, Ash swam up to the surface too. He broke through the surface, panting for air for a second, before he swam over to the edge and climbed out of the pool.

A few metres along from him, he saw the girl spluttering for air. Obviously he had caught her by surprize, and she hadn't had time to take a deep breath. He felt a little guilty for pulling her in, but he hadn't done it on purpose. He'd just apologise like his parents had always taught him too.

'Hey, are you alright?' he called over to her as he stood up, beginning to walk over to her. The girl looked up and noticed him for the first time. She blinked the water out of her eyes before they narrowed slightly.

'Err… yeah, where did you…?' she trailed of in confusion.

'I'm sorry about that. You see your fishing line got caught around my ankle, and I was afraid it was a pokemon so I kicked out. I guess I caught you by surprize and pulled you in, I'm really sorry miss' he apologised, hanging his head slightly.

The girl looked at him, realisation crossing her face, a flash of annoyance, before it softened. It was clear to her that he did feel guilty about dragging her into the water, and it was sort of her fault, so she decided to let it go.

'That's ok, I guess in the future I should try to not to snag anymore kids. My name's Misty by the way, Misty Waterflower. What's yours?' the girl, Misty, asked politely, smiling to should him that she wasn't angry.

'Ash, Ash Ketchum. So I guess if you were fishing you were trying to catch a water type pokemon?' Ash asked, feeling more at ease now that he knew she wasn't angry with him. Misty smiled brightly at him, nodding her head.

'Not just one. I'm trying to catch a whole team of water pokemon. They're my specialty' she grinned. Ash was impressed. He'd heard about elemental trainers. Even though they only specialised in one type of pokemon, they tended to be very strong and more often than not, became either Gym trainers or Gym Leaders.

'Wow, I heard it takes a lot of studying and skill to be an elemental trainer' Ash replied.

'Oh it does, but when you love a type of pokemon like the way I love water pokemon, it's definitely worth it. In fact, if I can get good enough, I want to be a Water Pokémon Master' she said proudly, before she decided to turn the conversation away from herself.

'So what about you Ash, are you a trainer?' she asked him as she sat down by the edge of the pool. Ash copied her actions as he began to reply.

'Brand new, just started this morning' he nodded, pulling out Squirtle's pokeball. After all, since Misty was a Water Pokémon trainer, she was bound to love seeing a Squirtle.

'Come on out buddy' he grinned, pressing the button and releasing Squirtle. Misty's eyes grow wide when she saw what pokemon it was.

'Oh wow! A Squirtle! What a cutie!' she cooed happily. Squirtle cocked his head towards her, before smiling at her praise.

'Yeah I thought you'd like him' Ash smiled at him.

'So what are you hoping to get out of your journey Ash?' Misty turned by to him as Squirtle curled up into his shell for a nap.

'I want to be a Pokémon Master, and to get that title I'll have to beat the pokemon league' he replied.

'I've heard that takes a lot of skill. Do you think you're good enough?' she asked him innocently. Ash thought carefully about his reply. He didn't want to seem conceited after all.

'I'm just going to try my best and hard work. But I know quite a lot about pokemon already. My dad works with Professor Oak and they taught me a lot when I was growing up' Ash explained. Now Misty was the one looking impressed. She'd heard good thinks about the Oak Laboratory and knew that with him as a teacher, Ash had to have picked up a lot.

'Well, maybe we can test that then. As a new trainer, you should try to battle as many trainers as you can, and since you have a water pokemon and I do too, why don't we have a battle?' she suggested brightly. Ash immediately grinned a stood up.

'That's a great idea Misty, plus I'm interested to see what pokemon you have' Ash smiled at her as she stood up too. She walked a few feet away from him, before she turned to him, her eyes bright with anticipation.

'Then allow me to introduce you to them all, Come on out gang!' she cried, drawing three pokeballs from her bag. They bounced through the air, before in a flash of red light; three pokemon appeared before Ash in a line.

The one in the middle was a large white fish lined with red markings. It had long beautiful fins and a matching tail, and a short sharp horn on its head. Ash knew what pokemon that was, it was a Goldeen. They were quite common, but the other two weren't.

The pokemon on the right was a star-shaped creature. It was light brown in colour, with a yellow sort of collar running around it. A large red jewel was set in the middle of it. Ash had never seen one in real life before, but had in his textbooks. It was the unusual pokemon Staryu.

The final pokemon was similar to Staryu seeing at it too was a star, but it was larger, had more points, and bright purple in colour. It too had a red jewel in a yellow collar, but it was octagonal in shape, and glowed even brighter. It was a Starmie.

'Whoa, A Goldeen, Staryu and Starmie! They're quite rare, you must be a good trainer Misty' Ash complimented her. She blushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck but she looked pleased.

'Thanks Ash. And for our battle I'll pick Staryu' she told her pokemon. Immediately both Starmie and Goldeen jumped into the pool, staying out in the water to observe the battle.

'Squirtle, wake up. We've got ourselves our proper first battle' Ash told the pokemon still hidden in his shell, but seconds later his limbs and head all popped out and the turtle pokemon stood up, ready for battle.

'Squirtle' (I'm ready Ash!) Squirtle cheered.

'He-Ya!' (Battle, on!) Staryu added.

'You can go first' Ash said to Misty.

'Such a gent' she smirked, before leaping into battle mode.

'Staryu, Rapid Spin!' Misty started the battle off with a quick start. Staryu began spinning like a wheel before it shot at Squirtle like a tornado.

'Squirtle, roll out the way!' Ash reacted with, thinking back to how Squirtle had rolled in his shell when Ash had been playing with him. Squirtle just managed to get out the way in time as Staryu shot past him.

'Now use Tackle!' Ash cried. Squirtle charged at Staryu, ready to slam into it, but Misty wasn't about to let that happen.

'Water Gun' Misty cried, and Staryu shot a jet of water at Squirtle, who halted in his tracks.

'Tail Whip that Water Gun Squirtle!' Ash cried. It was a tactic Ash had seen his dad's Blastoise use before, and he just hoped that Squirtle could use it too. Squirtle looked at him confusedly for a moment, but did as Ash said, and with his tail glowing, he brought it up and used it to hit the water as it approached him. The tail deflected some of the water, but with Squirtle being so young, his tail didn't have the strength behind it yet, and Squirtle was sent flying into a rock.

'Squirtle!' Ash cried in horror, sad that the strategy had fail and worried for his partner, but Squirtle was already pushing himself back to his feet, not out yet.

'That would have been an effective tactic to use but you'd need to build up the strength in Squirtle's tail for it to work properly. Your Squirtle doesn't want to let you down Ash, you must be pretty close already' Misty commented, before she got serious again.

'Tackle him Staryu' she ordered her pokemon. Staryu bounced towards Squirtle, but this time it was Ash wasn't going to let that happen.

'Muddy Water' he cried, and Squirtle spat out a lot of mucky water from his mouth, hitting Staryu had on and pushing it back.

'Water Gun!' Misty shouted, and soon it became a power battle as Squirtle's Muddy Water and Staryu's Water Gun crashed into each other. Both water pokemon kept pushing; trying to outdo the other, before eventually Staryu's experience prevailed. The Water Gun pushed through the Muddy Water and hit Squirtle head on, slamming him back into the rock at the edge of the pool, knocking him out of the match.

'Squirtle!' Ash cried as he ran over to his partner, picking him up and hugging him to himself.

'Squirt…Squirtle' (Sorry, Ash) he said deflated before he passed out.

'It's ok Squirtle, you did your best, Misty was just too good' Ash console him, before bringing out Squirtle's pokeball.

'You take a well-deserved rest Squirtle' Ash said, returning Squirtle to the confines of the pokeball. Ash stood up and turned to face Misty, who was smiling at him brightly. It wasn't a smug 'in-your-face' kind of smile though, but more encouraging to him as a new trainer.

'That's a good attitude to have Ash. Consoling your pokemon after a defeat rather than blaming them. A lot of new trainers don't have your attitude' she told him.

'Well it wasn't Squirtle's fault. You and Staryu were pretty amazing. You're really strong Staryu' Ash told Misty's pokemon.

'He-Ya!' (Cheers!)

'So, now that that's done, what are you going to do now Ash?' Misty asked him as she returned Staryu, along with Starmie and Goldeen to their own pokeballs.

'Well, my plan's to head onto Viridian City. What about you?' he asked in response.

'I don't really know. I sort of just left home and didn't really make our plans. All I've got is my goal. But anywhere there's water pokemon I'll go and find them' she shrugged.

'In that case, why don't you come with me to Viridian. There's quite a large lake just to the west of the city and I'm sure they'll be plenty of water pokemon there. Plus it'll be fun to travel together for a while' Ash smiled at her. Misty's face looked thoughtful for a moment, before it broke into a wide grin.

'Sure, that sounds like a great idea. And then after that we'll see if it still makes sense to travel together. It does sound like a lot of fun, and maybe we can have another battle when we get to the lake!' she replied, nodding enthusiastically.

'Well come on then, let's get going' Ash grinned, and together Ash and Misty set of walking through the forest, both glad to have met a new friend and travelling partner. Whether they would stay together for a while yet was unknown to either of them, but for now, the two were content with their short term plan of action. They had no idea that at that very moment, a figure stood behind a tree, watching the two of them very closely.

…

The man pulled out a mobile from his black leather jacket.

'Boss, I've find him. He's heading to Viridian City' he said once he dialled a number and the other person picked up.

'Keep him in sight but do not approach. In time we will see if it is really him' the other person said down the line.

'Roger, over and out' the man hung up, before he slowly and carefully began to follow the two trainers through the forest, making sure to keep to the shadows and out of their sight.

**...**

**And there's chapter two. Now I got rid of that wretched bike of Misty's because it always bugged me. Misty only started travelling with Ash because she was angry with him over the bike, but then they became best friends. I just thought it would be nicer to have them meet and have a friendly battle rather than an angry confrontation. And yeah, Gary's a jerk in this but he will get nicer, just like he did in the show : ) Oh, and how is that mysterious man at the end? You'll just have to keep reading to find out : ) Thank you to everyone that reviewed last time, and please feel free to leave another!**


	3. Team Rocket Touchdown

**Hey! Really glad that people seem to be enjoying my story so much, so thank you for everyone who had reviewed! Anyway, this chapter introduces Team Rocket into the story, but rest assured they are different than they are in the show. But enough about that, on with the chapter! Please note that I do not own Pokemon.**

**...**

**Team Rocket Touchdown**

As they reached the edge of the forest, standing on top of a small hill, Ash and Misty looked down at the city in the valley below them, out of breath, not from their walk but from the beauty of the city before them. It was huge, but somehow quaint at the same time. Gardens full of flowers and ponds with fountains were scattered across the city, and many people and pokemon were bustling around, going about their daily business peacefully. The entire city was calm and peaceful and had a friendly atmosphere about it.

'Oh wow! It's so beautiful!' Misty gasped slightly as they tried to take in the sight before them. She had passed through it of course, but she hadn't seen it from above before.

'Yeah, it's really gorgeous!' Ash nodded in agreement, before he clapped his hands together, an idea forming in his mind.

'What d'ya say we go explore?' he asked her excitedly. Misty's face became very excited at the thought of checking out some of the shops and maybe even a restaurant in the city, but the trainer in her knew they had to do something else more important first.

'That sounds like a great idea, but first we have to stop by the pokemon centre. Sensible trainers always heal their pokemon when they first enter a town' Misty told him. Ash knew that was true, his dad had always told him that, along with many other snippets of advice. He'd have to call him and his mum to let them know that he had arrived alright.

'Sure, let's go to the pokemon centre, do you know where it is?' he asked, squinting to see if he could see it from the distance they were at.

'It's right in the heart of the centre, see that dome with the huge red P on it?' she asked, pointing right into the centre of the city scene. Ash followed her finger, and saw a large purple and blue dome like structure, and just like Misty said, there was a huge red P set upon the roof.

'Then what are we waiting for?' Ash asked excitedly, before without warning he set off at a run. Misty laughed and set of running too, and soon the two of them with laughing their heads of as they bolted down the other side of the hill and sprinted into the city.

…

Meanwhile, watching the two of them from above, the man that had followed them looked out at the city, keeping the two of them in his sights.

He was a tall lanky teenager of roughly nineteen years of age. He had shaggy brown hair and a scruffy stubbly beard. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and black baggy jeans, and had warm brown eyes.

'Boss, the kid's got a friend with him. They met in the forest, what should I do?' he asked calmly.

'Keep them in sight for now. If he's travelling with a companion we'll revise the plan slightly. Our Master wants to be absolutely sure that it's him before we act further' the voice of his father replied down the line.

'Are you sure this is a good idea dad, I mean, I kinda feel like a stalker doing this' the man asked in a slightly whiny voice.

'If it is him, you know it must be done… if we don't…' his father trailed off solemnly.

'Ok, I'll keep on their tail, over and out' the man sighed before he hung up, and knowing the kids had had enough of a head start, he began running after them. After all, he didn't want to lose them.

…

Now roaring with laughter from their running, Ash and Misty slowed down at a halt, right outside the pokemon centre. Ash knew what they were for of course, but this was the first time he had ever been in one since Pallet Town didn't have its own centre, and he wanted to savour the moment he first stepped inside one.

Together, the two of them stepped through the automatic glass doors, and looked around in wonder. The room was red in colour, with comfortably plush seats lining the walls. They were for waiting trainer. A glass coffee table with pokemon magazines piled on it was near them, and a large counter stood in front of them. On the other side of the room were several large video phones and some computers.

'Well Ash, this is what a pokemon centre looks like. First of all we need to have the nurse here restore our pokemon's health, and if you want to enter the Kanto Pokémon League, you need to register here too' Misty explained as she walked further into the room, right the way to the counter. She spotted a small golden bell and slapping her hand against it, she rang it loudly to announce their arrival.

'What about you though Misty? I mean, if you want to be a Water Pokémon Master, aren't you going to take the gym challenge?' Ash asked her curiously. He had to admit that despite the fact that he had lost to her, the idea of battling Misty again did sound like a lot of fun, plus it would be nice for him to have a rival and a friend at the same time.

Misty paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. She wanted to be a Water Pokémon Master, that was very true, and there were several ways she could do that. If she managed to become a Gym leader or a member of the Elite Four she could challenge the Champion without needing to challenge all the gyms, but that would require years of hard training. Whereas if she managed to win the league, she could challenge all four of the Elite Four and then the Champion too. That option seemed more realistic than claiming a gym leader's position. So with that thought in mind, she smiled, her decision made.

'You know something Ash, I think I will. I wasn't going to, but like I said before, I never really had much of a plan, but challenging the gyms does sound like a good idea if I want to be a Water Pokémon Master' Misty grinned at him. At that exact moment, a door behind the counter opened, and a young woman stepped out to meet them.

She had a pretty and kind face, with bright pinkish red hair tied into loops. She was wearing a nurse's uniform, and upon seeing them, she smiled warmly at the two of them.

'Hi, I'm Nurse Joy, and welcome to the Viridian Pokémon centre' she greeted them warmly.

'Hello Nurse Joy. My name is Misty and this is Ash. We were hoping that you can restore our pokemon's strength and possibly register the two of us for the Kanto Pokémon League' Misty said to her politely. Nurse Joy's smile widened slightly.

'Of course I can do all that for you, it'll be my pleasure. I'll heal your pokemon first and then I'll explain about the pokemon league. If I could just have your pokeballs for a second' she asked, holding out her hands. Ash handed her the pokeball with Squirtle in it and Misty did the same with her Staryu, Starmie and Goldeen.

'Thank you, this will only take a moment' Nurse Joy smiled, before she turned to a machine behind the counter. It was large and bulky, and had a sort of tray on the top of it, and a screen at the back. The tray had six holes in it, and Nurse Joy put their pokeballs into four of the holes. She pressed a button, and the screen began flashing for a few seconds, before it stopped and the machine powered down.

'There you go, your pokemon's have all had their health restored' Nurse Joy said happily, taking the pokeballs out of the machine and handing them back to their respective owners.

'Thanks' they said together, pocketing their pokeballs.

'And now I'll explain how the Pokemon League operates. You're aware that you'll need to collect eight gym badges to enter the tournament at the end of June next year, correct?' she began, and once both trainers had nodded she continued.

'As official trainer you'll be granted a trainer fund' she carried on.

'What's that Nurse Joy?' Misty asked in confusion.

'It's how trainers can afford their supplies. You know pokeballs, potions, survival equipment and other trainer items. Basically it is the money you earn as a trainer. Each new trainer gets £2000, and it is kept in a special online banking system. When trainers battle, if you win, you earn prize money and your fund goes up. If you lose, it goes down' she explained.

'Wow, and they just give you it, no strings attached?' Ash asked in amazement.

'Well, you have to abide by the leagues rules, but considering how much money the League brings in each year, it really isn't that much' Nurse Joy laughed at their amazed expressions.

'So basically, the more battles we win, the more prize money we earn' Misty clarified.

'That's exactly right Misty. The big earners are gym battles, plus you will also receive a TM along with your badge' the nurse nodded.

'So how do we register exactly?' Ash wanted to know.

'All you need to do is give me either a pokedex or your trainer card and I can register you for the league' Nurse Joy said. They both dug into their pockets, Ash bringing out his pokedex, Misty a small blue ID card with her photo and name on it. They both handed them over, and Nurse Joy placed them into slots on her computer. There was a few seconds pause, and then a ding.

'There we go. Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower are now official pokemon league trainers' Nurse Joy announced, handing them back their items.

'Thanks a lot Nurse Joy' they said together again.

'It was my pleasure. Oh, and now, whenever you're in a Pokemart, you can use your pokedex and trainer card as credit cards. They'll drain the amount from your individual fund accounts. You can do the same to rent rooms at any of the pokemon centres. Just make sure you keep a tab your money, you don't want to be overdrawn' the nurse warned.

'And now is that everything, only I have a small problem with a Poliwag out the back' the nurse wondered.

'Well, if we could rent rooms here for the night, that'd be great' Misty requested. Nurse Joy just smiled and held her hands out again, taking the trainer card and pokedex off them again. She scanned them into her computer again, and this time typed on the keyboard, before she returned them and handed them each a key.

'Misty, you're in room ten, Ash; you're across the hall in room twelve. Now if that's everything, I'll go get back to that Poliwag' she smiled at them one more time.

'Thank you Nurse Joy' the both said as she retreated through the door and she was gone. Ash and Misty both looked at each other.

'Well I've gotta say, the Pokémon League really looks after its trainers' Misty commented, and Ash nodded in agreement.

'It makes travelling a lot easier rather than carrying a lot of money around, in case of thieves' he noted and Misty nodded.

'So, what should we do now? Still up for looking around the town?' Misty asked him. Ash looked thoughtful for a moment, before his eyes landed on the video phones, and so he shook his head.

'Not quite yet. I just want to ring my parents real quick' he turned to her.

'Sure thing, I'll be out the front' Misty smiled at him, and without waiting for a reply, the red head strode off and out the doors. Ash immediately walked over to the video phone, and dialled his home number. It rang for a few seconds, and moments later the screen flickered into life. Dom's face appeared, before it broke into a wide grin when he saw who it was.

'Ash! Hey dear, it's Ash!' Dom turned to the side and shouted before Ash could even get a word in. soon Delia was on the screen too, and the two of them were beaming at him.

'Hi honey! Where are you?' Delia squealed with excitement, and he hadn't even been gone a day yet!

'Viridian City' Ash replied with a smile at their enthusiasm.

'You're already in Viridian City?! It took you _four_ days to get there' Delia grinned teasingly, nudging Dom in the side.

'Hahahaha, yeah it did. I guess that just shows how well Ash is going to do on his own journey' Dom said proudly.

'I don't know about that' Ash hung his head dejectedly.

'Hey, what's up?' Delia asked in concern, frowning at the look on her son's face.

'Right now, my journey seemed to be falling like a Pidgey out of a tree' Ash muttered ashamedly.

'Now don't talk about yourself that way Ash Ketchum, you will be a fine trainer if you believe in yourself and try your best' Dom countered with. Ash looked up at the screen, slightly nervous by the tone his father had used.

'Ash, you've literally only just started your journey, and me and your dad are already so proud of you. You studied hard, you know your stuff, I'm sure whatever happened today can't be that bad' Delia said consolingly.

'Well, I had someone try to steal my Squirtle, I then saw said bully get blasted across the sky by an angry flock of Spearow, I haven't made a single capture and I lost my first pokemon battle' Ash counted on his fingers.

'Well there has to be something you've enjoyed today' Dom replied.

'Getting Squirtle and meeting Misty' Ash shrugged.

'Misty?' Delia asked with a quirked eyebrow.

'Yeah, we… met, and we walked here together. In fact we're going to go explore the city right now' Ash told them. Their faces were surprized, before Dom's turned into an evil grin.

'A romantic walk around the city, somebody's in love' Dom teased. Ash's mouth dropped open in horror and disgust.

'Dad no! No, no, no, it's not… nothing like that!' Ash shook his head desperately.

'Ash and Misty sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!' Dom sang, ignoring Ash's word completely.

'Stop teasing him! Well I'm glad you've got a new friend Ash. You'd better go if she's waiting for you. Call again soon honey!' Delia told him, hitting Dom lightly on the arm at the same time.

'And bring Misty to the screen next time. We want to see your girlfriend!' Dom cackled before Ash shook his head despairingly, and hung up the call after saying goodbye. He shook his head. His Dad was so silly, Misty wasn't he girlfriend! That was quite gross!

He quickly walked out of the pokemon centre and saw Misty standing outside waiting. He blushed as he saw her, but then he shook it off. It was ridiculous after all. His dad was just messing with his head.

'All set?' Misty turned to him, a bright smile on her face.

'Sure, so than, where d'ya wanna go first?' Ash asked her. Misty opened her mouth to say something, but another voice called out to them, cutting her off.

'Excuse me! Are you guys pokemon trainer?!' A voice shouted across the street at them. Ash and Misty turned around and saw a girl roughly their age but a little taller than either of them, with long brown hair tied into plats. She had bright blue eyes, and was wearing a pink hoodie over blue jeans. She smiled at them as she approached them.

'Err… yeah we are, can we help you Miss?' Misty asked, sounding a little confused by the interruption.

'Sorry to interrupt, but I'm looking for trainers to battle. You see I'm hoping that one of my pokemon will evolve soon, so I'm trying to get it as much battling experience as I can. So will the two of you please battle me in a double battle?' the girl asked slightly pleadingly.

'What d'ya think Misty?' Ash turned to her. Misty smiled, bringing out a pokeball and Ash smiled, before turning back to the girl.

'Sure… err?' Ash waited for her to say her name.

'Oh, sorry, the name's Melissa, but call me Mel' Mel introduced herself.

'So, where should we battle?' Ash wondered aloud.

'There's a battle-field at the back of every pokemon centre. We can have our double battle there' Misty spoke up.

'Thanks a lot, oh wait, I don't know your names yet' Mel noted.

'I'm Ash and this is my friend Misty' Ash introduced them as they walked around to the back of the centre. There was a large garden behind the centre, and marked out on the grass were white lines in a rectangle marking out the boundaries of the battle field.

'Does a one round with two pokemon on each team work for you guys?' Mel asked them as they took up their positions. She stood alone in one half, Ash and Misty stood together in the other.

'That's fine' Ash nodded. He knew how double battles worked since his dad had practiced with him, and knew that in order to win, he and Misty would have to be on the same wavelength.

'Then choose your pokemon' Mel cheered, plucking two pokeballs out of her pockets as Ash and Misty did the same.

'Squirtle, come on out!' Ash said, letting the turtle pokemon out onto the field.

'Starmie, I choose you!' Misty added, letting the purple starfish out too.

'Perfect! Water pokemon! Come on out guys' Mel grinned as she let two of her own pokemon out at once, and seconds later, Squirtle and Starmie were staring down their opponents.

The first pokemon was round and blue. It had two short legs and feet, and tiny red eyes. Deep green leaves sprouted from its head. Ash knew what pokemon it was, and how much of a problem it could pose to their own team. It was an Oddish.

The other pokemon was adorable and bright pink in colour. It was a turf of fur in a swirl on its head, and two wing-like tails. It had brown tipped ears and small fingers on its paws. This time even Ash wasn't sure what the species was, so he quickly brought out his pokedex and pointed it at the pink creature.

'Information: -

Species - Clefairy

Nickname – Unknown

Gender – Female

Level – 12

Learnt Move-Set – Unknown

Egg Move-Set – Unknown

Registered Information - On nights with a full moon, Clefairy gather from all over and dance. Bathing in moonlight makes them float'

'So that's what a Clefairy is' Ash noted aloud as he closed his pokedex and returned it to his pocket. He'd heard about Clefairy, and supposedly they were quite rare. Mel must be quite skilled to have been able to catch one.

'Odd!' (Let's go!)

'Fairy!' (Ready!)

'You guys can go first' Mel offered with a wave of her hand. And Ash and Misty both pounced on that offer.

'Squirtle, Tackle Clefairy!' Ash started with.

'Starmie, Bubblebeam!' Misty added.

Squirtle ran towards Clefairy and tried to slam into her, but she stepped out the way just in time. Starmie began spinning before bubbles began erupting out of its spikes, floating towards Oddish and popping like some bombs.

'Clefairy, Double Slap!' Mel ordered, and Clefairy run towards Squirtle, her hands raised to slam him.

'Squirtle, hide in your shell' Ash yelled, and Squirtle quickly ducked his head back into his shell, causing Clefairy attack to fail.

'Oddish, Sleep Powder' Mel cried, and specks of green dust began to form around Oddish's leaves, before she fired the cloud towards Starmie.

'Rapid Spin' Misty retaliated, and using the force of the wind formed by the Rapid Spin, Starmie was able to push the cloud back, causing Clefairy to breath it in and get drowsy.

'Oh no! Clefairy!' Mel gasped upon seeing how badly her strategy had gone.

'Muddy Water on Clefairy!' Ash cried, and Squirtle hit her with a jet of brown water, hitting her directly in the face.

'Oddish, use Absorb on Starmie' Mel carried on, since Clefairy was fast asleep and unable to battle.

'Stop Oddish with Psychic and then use Swift' Misty cried. The jewel set in Starmie glowed brightly, and Oddish was surrounded by a blue aura, holding her in place. Then she was flung to the ground, and whilst she was down, Starmie fired wave upon wave of small gold stars from its jewel, which hit both Oddish and Clefairy.

'Squirtle, Muddy Water' Ash added, and with one more jet of murky water to the face, Clefairy's eyes opened for a second as she woke up, before they closed again as she fell over, passed out.

'Clefairy return! Oddish, Acid' Mel tried one last attempt to pull the battle around. Oddish began spitting small purple globs of acid at the two water pokemon, who both effortlessly dodged repeatedly.

'Pound her Squirtle!' Ash ordered, and Squirtle rammed into Oddish with all his strength, pushing her towards Starmie.

'Rapid Spin!' Misty echoed, and like a whirlwind, Starmie shot towards Oddish. The grass pokemon just couldn't take anymore, and with a dull thud she hit the ground, out cold like her fellow team-mate.

'Oh rats, I lost! But that was a good attempt Oddish' Mel said as she brought out another pokeball.

'Return for a rest' she said, and soon Oddish was back in her pokeball.

'That was a great battle Squirtle, return' Ash grinned at Squirtle before returning his too.

'You were awesome too Starmie' Misty added as she too returned her pokemon. Then she and Ash slowly walked over to Mel.

'Thanks guys that was a great battle' Mel grinned at them as she shook their hands in turn.

'It sure was. So, I take it you're trying to get your Oddish to evolve into a Gloom' Ash noted. Mel nodded enthusiastically.

'When she's a Gloom, I can use a Leaf Stone or a Sun Stone to evolve her again, and having a fully evolved grass pokemon in my team will help me out a lot during the pokemon league' Mel replied.

'Wow, so I guess that means you're entering the league too?' Misty asked. Mel opened her mouth to reply, but she didn't get the chance. At that moment the area was filled with the sound of a screeching blaring alarm. Their heads all snapped around to the Pokémon Centre, where the sound was originating from.

'It's coming from the centre!' Ash noted aloud, stating the obvious.

'Come on, let's go take a look' Misty said as she began jogging to the back of the building, going through the automatic doors at the back of the centre. Ash and Mel quickly joined her, and the three of them stepped back into the centre.

And the scene before them took them all by surprize. Most of the room was covered in thick black smoke, the type that came from a smoke bomb. It was no doubt that exploding which had set off the alarm.

'What's going on?' Nurse Joy asked bewilderedly as she came out from the door behind the counter she'd gone through earlier. A dark laugh came from within the area covered in smoke. They couldn't see the person, but they could certainly hear them.

'Prepare for trouble!' a cool woman's voice said.

'Make it double' a calm male voice added.

'To protect the world from devastation' the woman said.

'To unite all people within our nation' the man rhymed.

'To denounce the evils of true and love' the woman carried on.

'To extend our reach to the stars above' the man echoed with.

'Jessie' the woman, Jessie introduced herself.

'James' the man, James, added.

'Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light' Jessie cried.

'Surrender now, or prepare to fight' James shouted.

'Meowth, that's right!' a third, high-pitched voice added. At that moment the smoke cleared, and Ash, Misty, Mel, and Nurse Joy saw the group for the first time.

The woman, Jessie, was a tall woman with long flowing red hair. She had bright blue eyes, and was wearing some kind of uniform. The top was white and had a large red R on it, and the skirt was white too, but the knee length boots were black. Her pretty face was curled into a cold sneer.

The man, James, was taller than Jessie and had curtains of bright blue hair. His eyes were green, and he too was wearing a uniform. The shirt and trouser were white, and over his chest was a red R like Jessie's. His boots were black, and in his hand he held a simple red rose.

The owner of the third voice was the most surprizing though. It was a pokemon! a small white furred cat like creature with a golden charm on its forehead and a curled tail. He had his claws raised, and his teeth set in a smug smirk. Ash knew that pokemon, it was a Meowth. But they couldn't talk! So this one had to be unusually gifted.

'A talking Meowth?!' Mel cried in shock.

'Never mind that, what are you doing here?!' Misty demanded angrily.

'We're here for the pokemon!' Jessie smirked, and Nurse Joy stiffened slightly.

'I won't let you take them! Chansey, help me out!' the nurse cried, and a few seconds later a pokemon burst through the door behind her, an angry expression on its face. The pokemon was bright pink in colour and was shaped like an egg. It had short stands which stood out like hair, and in a poach on her belly she carried a white egg. Ash had only seen one once, at the lab with his dad and Professor Oak. It was a rare pokemon, Chansey. She glared at Team Rocket dangerously.

'You think that overgrown egg will be able to stop us? That's a joke, it must be' Jessie laughed coldly as she drew out a pokeball of her own. James mirrored her actions but didn't speak.

'Go, Ekans' Jessie cried, and from out of her pokeball came a long slithering creature. It was a bright purple and yellow snake like creature, and Ash knew it to be a common pokemon named Ekans.

'Koffing, you too!' James added, and soon there was another pokemon hovering in the air. It was a spherical creature, purple in colour, and under its smirking face was the pattern of a skull and cross-bones. Ash had never seen one in real life before, but he knew it to be a poison type pokemon.

'Misty, Mel, we have to help out too' Ash whispered as Chansey hopped over the counter, standing protectively in front of them all, facing Ekans and Koffing who had yet to make a move.

'But how, our pokemon are still tired from the fight' Mel pointed out desperately.

'Nurse Joy!' Ash said, thrusting Squirtle's pokeball at her. Misty and Mel did the same too. Nurse Joy blinked in confusion for a moment, before it clicked, and she nodded, quickly healing up the pokemon up in the Restoral machine.

'Please, help Chansey keep them busy whilst I get the pokemon away' Nurse Joy pleaded as she handed over the pokeballs before she rushed out of the room.

'Squirtle!' Ash cried, letting Squirtle out of his pokeball.

'Starmie! Staryu!' Misty yelled, letting out the two starfish pokemon.

'Oddish! Clefairy!' Mel added, letting out her own team of pokemon.

The five pokemon looked around in confusion as they were all suddenly summoned.

'We have to stop Team Rocket before they steal any pokemon!' Ash shouted, and all the pokemon's eyes narrowed on Team Rocket.

'You kiddies think you're a match for us?! That's adorable. Well, time for a lesson sweeties. Ekans, Wrap!' Jessie sneered, and before any of the pokemon could react, Ekans had extended its length and had tied itself around all six opponents, binding them tightly together.

'Koffing, use Toxic' James added, laughing at how easy this was. Koffing moved in and prepared to spew poison all over their pokemon. It would have succeeded too if it wasn't for Misty's quick thinking.

'Use Psychic Starmie' she ordered, and using its psychic energy, Starmie managed to keep the dripping toxic liquid away from them.

'Ekans, wrap again' Jessie ordered, and Ekans used the same attack, squeezing the pokemon even tighter, choking them, crushing the air from their bodies. Chansey struggled to hit Ekans with her fists, but was unable to land a hit.

'Squirtle, Muddy Water' Ash tried, but because he was being choked up at that moment, Squirtle couldn't swallow up enough water for the attack.

'Oddish, Sleep Powder!' Mel cried, and Oddish managed to blast a load of Sleep Powder up into the air, but was unable to hit anyone since she couldn't manoeuvre or aim.

'This isn't working, we need to get them free before they can do anything' Misty told Ash and Mel. The three of them thought for a moment, before Ash snapped his fingers.

'Return your pokemon' he whispered as he brought out Squirtle's pokeball. Misty and Mel both grinned, before they copied his action.

'Return' the three said together, and in a flash of red light, all the pokemon bound by Ekans snapped back into their pokeballs, except for Chansey, who now had room to hit Ekans with a Double Slap, sending her sprawling across the floor.

'Koffing, quick, use Smokescreen' James ordered. Choking fumes of black gas burst from the holes in Koffing's body, and soon enough the entire room was filled.

'Star…Starmie, come out again and use Rapid Spin' Misty choked whilst coughing and once the pokemon was out and followed its trainer's order, the smoke cleared, and Team Rocket was gone.

'Where did they go?' Ash asked, looking around. Suddenly there was a shriek from behind the door Nurse Joy had retreated through, and leaping over the counter, the three trainers raced into a corridor behind. At the end of the new corridor was Nurse Joy, cowering against a door as Ekans hissed at her, whilst Team Rocket stood in front of her.

Meowth smirked slightly, holding a pokeball in his hand.

'Well, well, getting rid of the pokeballs, tut tut. But at least we managed to 'liberate' this one' he sneered at Nurse Joy.

'Give me that pokeball now!' the nurse ordered, but eyeing the Ekans nervously.

'You know, I don't think I will. So-long' he cackled, before he took a step back so that he was stood right next to Jessie and James who were laughing loudly. James brought a small black sphere out of his pocket, and before anyone could do anything, he dropped the ball to the ground, and a puff of black smoke appeared around them.

When it had died down, Team Rocket was gone.

'No! They got away with that pokeball!' Ash cried angrily as he ran forwards, stopping in the spot they had been.

'It was my fault, that Meowth caught me by surprize and wrestled it from me in my moment of shock. That poor pokemon' Nurse Joy sniffed.

'Isn't there something we can do?' Misty asked desperately.

'I doubt it Misty. Even if we ever see those crooks again, the chances are that pokemon will either be sold on the black market, or used by those criminal and convinced it's an evil pokemon' Ash said miserably. But if they did see them again, Ash would get them for what they had just done, that was a promise.

'I know it's awful to think like this, but at least it was only one pokemon. It could have been a lot worse' Mel said, trying to be a little bit optimistic.

'That's true I suppose. Listen, I better go inform Officer Jenny about this. And thanks for buying me time, I'm sure that if you hadn't tried to help, many more pokeballs would have been stolen' Nurse Joy said as she walked away from them dejectedly. The three trainers sighed as they watched her go, before they turned to face each other.

'Well, if there are pokemon thieves in the area, I really don't want to stick around for too long, so I guess I'm going to get going too you guys' Mel stated.

'Really? Where are you planning on going Mel?' Ash asked curiously.

'I'm thinking of stopping by Pallet Town first, so I can get a ferry to an island in the south of the region' their newest friend replied.

'Do you think we'll run into you again?' Misty wondered aloud.

'I hope so. And if you guys are headed to the Pokémon League too, I'm sure that we will. I hope I can battle you guys again' Mel smiled brightly at them.

'Well, good luck Mel, hope we see you there' Ash said, shaking her hand. Misty copied the action, and with one last smile, Mel left through the door too. Ash and Misty both sighed. They'd have to get used to that. Making new friends quickly and saying goodbye just as quickly too.

'So, what should we do now?' Misty turned to Ash.

'Well, we came here so that we can go to the lake right. So for now I suggest we head to our rooms and catch some sleep. We'll get up early tomorrow and head to the lake' Ash suggested, and Misty agreed with a nod.

'Right, our rooms will be on the second floor, it's this way' Misty said, knowing this since all Pokémon centres were laid out the same. She led Ash up the corridor to a flight of stairs, and going up them they came out at another long corridor, this one reminiscent of a posh hotel. They quickly found their rooms which were directly opposite each other.

'Well, goodnight Misty' Ash said, pausing outside his own door as he took out his room key.

'Night, see you tomorrow' Misty smiled at him, before she opened her room and disappeared inside, locking it behind her. Ash did the same and went into his own room. He didn't even bother to look around. He just collapsed on his bed, and within seconds he was asleep.

**...**

**And there's chapter three. Ok, so first obvious change is Team Rocket. Yeah, in this they will not be appearing in every chapter just to get blasted off. They may appear ever couple of chapters or not for a while, and when they do, they will be more professional or just lucky. It'll start out small, their crimes, like stealing one pokemon, but they will go onto do more impressive crimes, or at least, that's the idea. And now I'd like to talk about reviews.**

**I know that some people dislike the way I've set my writting out. But to be honest, that's the style I'm most comfortable with, and have used in all my works, so I'm really sorry to everyone but I'm not changing it. **

**Secondly, Pikachu, so many people asking about that! Ash will have one, and chances are it will be Gary's. I'm thinking of either having Gary become nicer to the point where he will give Pikachu to Ash, or Gary abandoning Pikachu and Ash catching it. Either that, or Ash will just catch another Pikachu, or maybe a Pichu and evolving it. Anyway, Ash will get a Pikachu so I hope that puts people's minds at rest.**

**And finally, I've been putting translation for pokemon speech into this story. I'm wondering what you guys think about that. Should I keep it or should I get rid of it? Please leave a review and let me know. Also, if there are any pokemon you want Ash or Misty to catch, please leave me a suggestion. I've got some which are in the rules of the challenge, and some ideas of my own, but please feel free to leave requests.**

**And just to be nice, I'll give you guys a little spoiler for the next chapter;**

_**'Gosh, I didn't expect him to try and hit me' Misty commented, still shocked by the guy's actions.**_

**Hope that gives you guys something to think about ; ) Until next time, keep on reading!**


	4. Legends at the Lake

**Hey readers, here's chapter four. So in this we see a legendary pokemon and Ash catches his first pokemon. Also, word of warning, a very long but important note at the bottom, just telling you. Hope you enjoy and please note that Pokemon is not owned by me : )**

**...**

**Legends at the Lake**

As he rolled over in his bed, Ash yawned, his eyes fluttering open. He slowly took a look around the room he was in. it was quite basic. A red carpet covered the floor, there was a small ensuite bathroom with washing facilities and a toilet, and a bed covered in a white duvet. He had been so tired from the bed before that he had literally just collapsed on the bed. But now his memories of the previous day were returning; and his plans for the day ahead.

After the commotion the day before with meeting Mel and the robbery by Team Rocket, Ash and Misty were finally going to do what they had been planning to do since they had first met. They were going to go to the lake, and Ash was positive that today was the day. He was going to catch his first pokemon!

But in order to fish a pokemon out of the lake, he needed to buy a fishing rod. So that was going to be his first task for the day, and wanted to get an early start, he rolled out of his bed, and headed for the bathroom. He took a quick shower and changed into a new set of clothes, designed exactly like his first set, and headed down to the first floor to get some breakfast. He had ordered himself and Misty some pancakes, and Nurse Joy's Chansey had just placed them on the table when his red headed friend greeted him.

'Good Morning Ash' she smiled as she sat down in the chair opposite him.

'Hey, I didn't know what you like for breakfast so I just ordered you pancakes' ash said, jerking his head towards the golden crisp set of the tasty food in front of her.

'Pancakes are great thanks' she smiled as they began to eat them. When they finished ten minutes later, Ash wiped some syrup off his chin as they began discussing their plans for the day.

'So then, what time should we head to this lake? I don't know the way, so I hope you do' Misty told him.

'Oh yeah, I know where it is. The only problem right now is that I don't actually have a fishing rod' Ash told her.

'Well, I'm pretty sure that there is a shop in Viridian City that sells fishing equipment, we could stop there first and you could get one with your trainer's fund' Misty suggested, and nodding, Ash stood up. He put some change on the table for their breakfast, and they two of them left the dining room, headed through the reception and out the glass doors to the street surrounding the centre.

'Any ideas where this shop is Misty?' Ash asked his travelling companion. The red haired girl shook her head, but approached a man in his twenties just on the other side of the street.

'Sorry, excuse me sir, you wouldn't happen to know where the Fishing Supply shop is do you?' she asked him politely. The man turned and looked down at her before he smiled.

'Sure, if you turn right at the end of this street and then take the first turn on your left, the shop will be directly in front of you, you can't miss it' he told her.

'Thank you sir' Misty replied, and with a nod the man waked off. Misty quickly ran back over to where Ash was waiting.

'Come on, I know the way' she told him, and the two of them set off at a brisk pace, following the man's directions to the letter, which turned out to be bang on. They came to be in front of a small shop with a large fish shaped sign over the door.

'Well, here it is' Misty said brightly as the two of them headed for the door. Ash pushed it open; causing a small bell to ding, and the two of them stepped into the shop. The room with lined with huge wooden stackers, four shells high, and all of them were carrying various models of fishing rods and fishing lines and different types of pokemon baits. Ash looked at Misty, and smirked when he saw that Misty looked like she was in heaven. He could practically see her itching to go look closer at some of the fishing equipment.

'So, as a water pokemon trainer, what type of fishing rod would you recommend for a rookie trainer like me?' Ash asked. He knew that as an experienced trainer, Misty knew a lot more about the practical side of travelling, whereas thanks to his studying, Ash knew a lot of the theoretical knowledge. At his words, Misty immediately went into lecture mode.

'Well, the first thing you need to know about fishing for water pokemon is what types of baits attract which type of pokemon. Since you've only been a trainer for a few days, I wouldn't suggest trying to lure a pokemon too strong for you to handle. I mean, what new trainer is going to be up to handling a Golduck or a Gyarados? None, so luring weaker pokemon is a much more practical idea. So to begin with, I'd suggest buying this' she said, picking up a small blue pot and handing it to him.

'Aquaton, the best lure for low levelled pokemon' Ash read of the label.

'And it means that. This stuff is great. There are other types of bait you can use when fishing, but trust me, this is the best' Misty assured him, before dragging him up the aisle to another section.

'Ok, so we've got your lure. Next on list is the wire. You need something light but durable. It's no good luring pokemon onto your line and then having it snap. But at the same time, it's a tad overkill to be the most during line for something like a Krabby. The thicker lines tend to be better when trying to catch fully evolved pokemon, which right now I'd suggest avoiding. Here, try this one' Misty said, handing him a packet with a thin silver wire coiled up inside it. And then they were off again, this time stopping by the rod section.

'Now there tend to be the three main types of rod. Old Rod, Good Rod, and Super Rod. From there they break off into smaller groups, but let's not get into that now. Now for this type, I'd suggest going straight to the best type of rod, the Super Rod. Technically it designed to catch strong pokemon like Kingler and Gyarados, but it's more dependent on the area you're fishing in. You can still catch all the weaker pokemon with a super rod, and it'll save you having to update your rod later on in your journey, what colour do you want?' Misty asked him this time before selecting for him.

'Err… red please' he said, and grinning, Misty selected a large red fishing rod and pushed it into Ash's rapidly filling arms.

'And now for the final part, the hook' Misty clapped her hands, leading him onto yet another section of the shop. This one had dozens and dozens of different hooks. They were in all sort of shapes and all sorts of colours, and Misty moved closer to the shelf, taking a close look before she smiled, and picked one up. It was shaped like a Squirtle, which caused Ash to laugh slightly when she showed it to him.

'Ok, so is that everything?' he asked as she handed him the hook too.

'Yeah, the only thing now is to pay for them'

'I hope my fund will cover all this'

'Of course it will, I mean, I added them up and it should come around to £150, which isn't a bad price to pay considering how good a quality it is' Misty told him brightly as they reached the check out. The girl behind the counter smiled at them as she scanned Ash's purchases, and when she was done Ash handed her his pokedex. She swiped it through a scanner on the side of the till monitor, and soon enough it was printing out a receipt. The girl placed Ash's equipment into a plastic bag, before she handed Ash his pokedex and receipt and wished the two of them a nice day.

'Wow, this is great, thank for helping me out there Misty, I wouldn't have had a clue what to do otherwise' Ash said as they stepped out into the street, the sun shining brighter now that it was later in the morning.

'No problem Ash. And now that we're ready, we can finally go to the lake. So now it's up to you, lead the way Ash' she smiled at him, and nodding, Ash set off at a brisk pace, Misty following just a step behind him.

…

'And if I remember right, it should be just on the other side of this hill' Ash was saying to Misty as the pair came to a halt. He had led the way across the city to its border, and they were now outside its parameters, near to lake. Ash had been there with his dad once, and he remembered it well.

'Great, I can't wait to see what types of pokemon live in the lake' Misty grinned as they began walking up the hill. It was quite steep, so the two of the journeyed in silent as to not waste their energy on conversation. They were puffing for breath by the time they reached the top. But then something else took their breath away, and that was the beauty of the lake.

It was roughly twenty miles wide in diameter, and was filled with crystal blue water with sparkled under the sun. reeds and flowers surrounded in, and there were a few large rocks on one side, a perfect spot for them to fish.

'Whoa, it's gorgeous, I never even knew about this place' Misty said in awe.

'Well, we've got out equipment, we've got out lake, now all we need to do is lure us some pokemon' Ash grinned at her, and soon the two of them were running down the other side. Suddenly Misty tripped and with a soft 'oomph' she began rolling down the hill. She knocked over Ash on her way, causing him to tumble down too. Soon they were both laughing as the ground levelled out and they rolled to a stop. As they both stood up, completely unharmed, the two of them were laughing uncontrollably.

'So then, Mistress of the sea, where the best spot here. Teach me the ways of the water trainer, please?!' Ash pretended to beg.

'Oh shut up' Misty laughed, swatting his arm good-naturedly.

'But anyway, I'd say those rocks would be a good spot to try and catch something' she said, nodding towards the small cluster of rocks.

'Think again! That spot's mine!' a snide voice shouted loudly at them, and turning the two of them saw a teenager with spiky blue hair and hazel eyes storming towards them. He was wearing a blue jumper over black jeans, and a sour expression was lining his face.

'I beg your pardon?' Misty shot at him, her eyes narrowed.

'You heard me red, stay off those rocks. That's the best spot around here and it's mine' he told her rudely, getting right up in her face. Ash glared at him as he and Misty stared each other down.

'You know what, I don't think I will, come on Ash' Misty said, turning away from him, taking a step towards the rocks. Instantly the other guy grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her back.

'Oi, you deaf red, I said that's my spot' he practically yelled at her.

'Hey! Let go of her!' Ash shouted at him as Misty turned back to him, trying not to wince as he squeezed her arm tightly.

'Shut it kid! Listen to me ginger, and let me give you some advice, stay out of my way, and nobody will get hurt' he snarled at her. Misty brought up her other hand and slapped him hard around the face, leaving a lovely red hand-print etched onto his cheek. He instantly let go of her arm, his hand flying up to cover the sore spot.

'Right, that does it, nobody threatens me! We'll settle this with a battle, winner gets the spot' Misty shot at him, a pokeball in her hand. The kid glared at her for a moment, before his lips curved into a cold sneer.

'What's your name?'

'Misty, not that it's any of your business' she told him, her tone sharp.

'Name's Riley, and I like the way you think, why settle for just teaching a girl who doesn't listen a lesson, when I can teach her pokemon one too' he leered at her, but Misty just ignored that quip as she readied herself for battle. Meanwhile Ash discreetly brought out Squirtle's pokeball, just in case this Riley guy tried to pull some kind of trick.

'One on one good for you foggy… oh so sorry, I meant Misty' Riley taunted her as he took a few large steps back, getting into the battling position.

'Perfect, go, Starmie' she cried, suppressing the urge to slap him again, letting Staryu out onto the grassy field in front of them.

'Ha! Too easy! Bellsprout, I choose you!' Riley sniggered, letting out a strange pokemon of his own. It was a sort of weed like creature, with two leafy hands and a sort of bell shaped yellow sprout for a head. It had two tiny black eyes, and had roots for feet.

'Misty, it's a grass pokemon so be careful' Ash called out in warning to her. Misty immediately put up her guard. She knew that grass pokemon could be tricky for her, but she had a few tricks up her sleeves to deal with them, and Starmie was the perfect pokemon for doing just that.

'That thing won't know what's hit it by the time we're through with it, ok Bellsprout, use Vine Whip' Riley ordered, and for the base of its leaves, Bellsprout shot two long growing green vines at Starmie.

'Dodge and counter with Rapid Spin' Misty calmly said in response, and Starmie quickly rolled at the way before spinning towards Bellsprout.

'Bellsprout, dodge that' Riley yelled, and Bellsprout sort of wobbled out the way but made it look effortless. Ash frowned slightly; Misty was going to have her work cut out for her to beat this jerk.

'Sleep Powder' Riley ordered, and Ash smirked, knowing exactly how Misty was going to counter that.

'Use Rapid Spin again' Misty cried, and this time instead of moving, Starmie revolved in the air to whip up a wind and blow the green cloud back towards Bellsprout. The grass pokemon, not to mention its trainer, looked surprized for a moment, and moments later Bellsprout was fast asleep.

'Finish with Ice Beam' Misty yelled, and Starmie's jewel began glowing a beautiful blue colour, before a thick beam burst out of it, heading towards Bellsprout. Even from his distance a good few metres away; Ash could feel the chillness of the attack.

The Ice Beam hit Bellsprout head on, and in a flash of bright light, Bellsprout was encased in a block of ice, still asleep and completely unable to battle. Riley looked absolutely furious at how easily Misty had beat his pokemon.

'Bellsprout, you idiot, how did you lose to a water pokemon?!' he yelled, returning Bellsprout to its pokeball.

'Hey, maybe if you were a better trainer, you Bellsprout would be stronger' Misty snapped at him. Talk about a bad loser!

'What did you say red?!' Riley screeched at her, running at her wildly. Misty's eyes widened in shock as his fist came towards her. She hadn't expected him to turn violent, but thankfully for her, her pokemon was quick to her rescue.

Riley was halted dead in his tracks, surrounded by a blue aura, and floating up into the air, the rude trainer was sent flying across the sky as Starmie blasted him away. Riley yelled as he shot across the sky, miles and miles away from them, before they couldn't see him anymore.

'Gosh, I didn't expect him to try and hit me' Misty commented, still shocked by the guy's actions.

'I know it's sickening that people like him are allowed to become trainers' Ash added, as shocked as Misty.

'You know, with all these battles you've beat getting into since we met, your pokemon are getting quite the workout' Ash noted aloud, and Misty chuckled slightly.

'That's what serious trainers do Ash. You have to get into as many battles as you can without pushing your pokemon too far. That's what people do when they want their pokemon to be as strong as they can be. And hey, if you think about it, that guy did me a favour' she told him, a grin now lining her face.

'How do you figure that?' Ash asked her, sounding shocked.

'Yeah, he just lowered his own account and raised mine' she laughed, and Ash laughed too.

'But anyway, now we can finally get on with our fishing' Misty said to him as she congratulated Starmie and returned it to its pokeball.

'Great, I hope I can catch my very first pokemon today' Ash smiled happily.

'If you've studied hard, you should be able too, just don't try getting out of your depth alright. Now, time to set ourselves up' Misty said as they reached the rocks, and climbed up onto them. Then the two of them brought out their fishing equipment, and began to set it up. Since Ash had no experience fishing, Misty showed him how it was done, and after teaching him how to cast it right, the two of them were sitting chatting as they looked out at the lake, their lines floating a few metres into the water's surface.

'So, we've did what we said we were going to do, and now that we'll be travelling the entire region together, what do you think our new move should be?' Misty asked as she half turned her head towards Ash, so that one eye was still on the lake.

'Well, there is a gym in Viridian City, but supposedly you can only challenge it once you have seven badges, so that one's out. The closest gym to here after that in the one in Pewter City, which will be perfect for the two of us'

'Why?' Misty blinked in confusion. After all, she knew how hard it was to beat a gym leader. She used to live in one before she left, and so knew how seriously they took their training. In her opinion, beating any gym was going to be anything but easy.

'Because the leader there uses rock type pokemon, which are weak against our water pokemon. I know that types don't always determine a battle, but it does give us an advantage' Ash told her.

'True, but as a gym leader, he's bound to have counter strategies in place to lessen our advantage. We can't rely just on types if we both want to beat him. We need to train hard so that we have a shot of beating him' Misty replied.

'But there isn't a specific time we can challenge the gym leader. We could train for days before actually challenging him. Plus we still have to actually get to Pewter City, and there's a huge forest that we'd have to get through. It's so big it will take us at least four days to get there' Ash told her.

'Well, I guess if we set off tomorrow, we could spend a week out in the forest, and then see how our pokemon are doing before actually challenging him' Misty nodded in response. Before anything else could be said though, the float on Ash's rod suddenly sank beneath the surface. He had got a bite.

'Oh wow, I've got a bite' Ash cried happily as he stood up, gripping the rod tightly with both hands.

'Reel it in, quick before it gets away' Misty encouraged him.

Ash reeled the dial on the rod as fast as he could, and seconds later there was a loud splash as the line's end came out of the water, a pokemon coming out with it. Ash span the rod around so that the pokemon was dragged out from over the lake, and flung it down into the grass so it couldn't escape.

'Alright Squirtle, let's catch our first new friend' Ash said, excitement building in his stomach as he let his starter pokemon out. Squirtle looked around for a moment, before his eyes settled on his opponent, and he narrowed them, ready for battle.

Ash looked at the pokemon to get its identity for the first time since he had dragged it out of the lake. He immediately recognised the pokemon, seeing as it was probably the most common pokemon in the world.

It was a fish pokemon, with bright red scales and a long yellow moustache like feature around it thick pink lips. It had two wide staring white eyes, and two yellow spiky fins, one on the top and one on the bottom. Its tail and wings were white, and it was flapping about, chanting its name over and over. It was a Magikarp.

Ash grinned slightly. Whilst Magikarp were generally considered useless and pitiful at battling, he knew that one day, if he managed to get Magikarp enough experience, it would evolve into a Gyarados, one of the strongest pokemon in the Kanto region. If he had one of those on his team, it would be a great asset for some of the tougher pokemon gyms. But it all depended on one thing, him catching that Magikarp.

'Ok Squirtle, you can take on a Magikarp, use Tackle' Ash cried, and Squirtle barrelled towards the flapping fish, who was trying to squirm back to the water. Squirtle slammed into the bright red creature, knocking it away from the lake's edge again.

'Muddy Water' Ash carried on. Since the only move a low levelled Magikarp could use was Splash, which was completely useless, Squirtle had the perfect chance to attack repeated and work on his own experience, whilst lowering Magikarp's health low enough for Ash to catch it easily.

Squirtle proceeded to hit Magikarp with a blast of brown water, causing the fish pokemon to cry out in alarm and pain. When Squirtle stopped, it was thrashing about even more desperately, wanting to get away, but Ash wasn't going to let that happen.

Before Ash could give Squirtle another instruction though, Squirtle suddenly let out a huge barrage of bubbles from his mouth, which hit Magikarp and exploded on contact. Ash's eyes widened in surprize.

'Whoa! Squirtle, you just used Bubble attack!' Ash cried in delight. It seemed as though the battle with Gary, Misty, Mel, and Team Rocket had been enough to raise Squirtle's level enough to be high enough for him to learn Bubble. Perfect for a small water pokemon like Squirtle. And thanks to that new attack, Magikarp was moving a lot slower now, looking a little beat up.

'Ash, Magikarp's weak, now's your chance!' Misty called encouragingly from the sidelines where she was watching the scene with great interest. That first capture was special for every trainer, and she hoped that this was going to be Ash's moment.

'Right! Pokeball, go!' he yelled, throwing one of his empty pokeballs at the thrashing red pokemon. it hit Magikarp, who was pulled into it with a beam of red light. The ball dropped to the ground and began to sway from side to side. Ash and Misty before watched as it continued to sway, left to right, the button flashing red and white in time with the swaying. Ash crossed his fingers as the swaying continued, and after a few tense seconds, the swaying stopped, the light going out with a small 'ding'. The two of them just stared at the now stationary pokeball, before Ash let out a delighted yelled.

'YA-HOO! We did it Squirtle! We did it! We caught our first pokemon! We caught a Magikarp!' Ash cried as he picked up the pokeball and held it up high in a sort of heroic victory pose. Squirtle leapt up next to him, grinning madly and crying his name proudly.

Misty smiled slightly as she watched Ash picked up Squirtle and beginning to spin him around, the pokemon as his trainer laughing together. It may have been just a common Magikarp, but she knew just how special the feeling of catching a new pokemon was, so she quickly went over to him to congratulate him.

'Well done Ash, that was a great capture! And well done Squirtle, you learnt Bubble' Misty complimented them both.

'Thanks Misty. Now, come on out' Ash cried, throwing the pokeball with his brand new pokemon into the air. It let the pokemon inside out into the lake, but instead of thrashing about in alarm, Magikarp just floated near the surface, looking up at Ash lazily. Ash crouched down so that Magikarp could see him better.

'Hey Magikarp, my name's Ash, and from now on you're going to be part of my time. If we work together, I know that we can be great friends' Ash smiled at the red pokemon, whilst Squirtle jumped into the water and grinned at the fish pokemon.

'Karp, Karp, Magikarp' (Huh… Um, Urrr) Magikarp said dully. But Ash wasn't concerned about that. He knew that in time, he'd be able to train Magikarp into a strong pokemon, and one day he would evolve into a Gyarados. And it felt so great! Knowing that they had some many fun times together to come. This was what being a trainer was about, spending time with your pokemon.

But suddenly a feeling prickled at the back of his head, and Ash felt like he was being watched. He looked up towards the centre of the lake, and let out a small gasp of surprize. Misty frowned at him, not seeing what he had, before she followed his line of vision, and her eyes widened in shock.

'Oh my…' she whispered in awe.

Standing in the centre of the lake, upon the surface like it was solid ground, was a pokemon. But it was unlike any pokemon Ash had ever seen before. It was much larger than any pokemon he'd seen in real life before, and was a four legged beast like creature. It was bright blue in colour, and had white diamond coloured marking in its fur. It had a ripple purple… cloud? on its back, and two thin white… vines? floating lazily around its legs. It had a hexagon shaped horn with a section missing in the middle, and was starting straight at the two of them calmly.

'What… what is that thing, some kind of pokemon?' Misty asked breathlessly. The creature was beautiful and graceful, and so… calm, so peaceful. Suddenly it let out a roar which sounded almost like a song, before it leapt through the air, leaving the lake glowing white as it leapt to the far edge of the lake and vanished into the trees. A strange wind blow as it went.

'Suicune' Ash murmured to himself.

'You know that pokemon?' Misty asked in surprized.

'That was the legendary pokemon Suicune. I've seen pictures of it, but I never truly thought it existed' Ash said softly.

'It's a legendary pokemon? Misty turned to him,

'A pokemon said to run with the North Wind and was created by the god of all pokemon to watch over the land and communicate with a pokemon that flies around the world continuously' Ash said, still staring out into the lake where Suicune had been.

'Wow…' Misty whispered as she turned back to the lake too. The two of them stayed there for a moment longer, just staring out into the lake.

'…Well, I guess we should go' Misty finally said.

'Yeah, I guess so. Let's go back to the Pokémon Centre for the night. We can get up early tomorrow morning and head out to Viridian Forest' ash quietly suggested.

'We'll have to go shopping first mind, to get some supplies' Misty pointed out.

'Agreed. Return guys' Ash said, returning both Squirtle and Magikarp to their pokeballs and clipping them to his belt. The two of them began walking back towards the town in silence, their thoughts caught up in their day, and the mysterious sighting of a legendary pokemon they had just bore witness too. What they didn't know was that there had been a third witness too.

…

'Whoa, you'll never believe this boss, but I've just seen Suicune' the teenager said into his phone, his tone gobsmacked.

'Stop your messing, you're there to keep tab on him not make up lame jokes' the voice told him sternly.

'No, I swear it! It was Suicune, and it was just… staring at him' the boy persisted.

'Hum… if it really was Suicune, I wonder if this proves he is who we think he is… right, keep trailing them, and stay out of sight. I think I need to call a meeting with the Master' the voice said.

'Oh, and one more thing, the kid's just caught his first pokemon' the man said before the boss could hang up.

'Oh, and what was it?' the boss asked interestedly.

'A Magikarp' the man replied. The boss let out a low chuckle.

'Well if it is him, he'll need to catch a lot stronger pokemon than a Magikarp, if any of us are to survive' the boss said solemnly but somewhat amusedly at the same time.

'I know boss. But hey, that what we're here for, is it?' the man asked.

'That we are… that we are' the boss said, before the line went dead. Signing, the man quickly dashed off through the trees, keeping Ash and Misty in his sights at all times.

**...**

**And there's Legends at the Lake! So yeah, Ash's team now has two pokemon, yay! I hope nobody is disappointed in the choice of pokemon, but I hate story where Ash gets an overpowered team right at the beginning, those stories make me cringe! So yeah, I gave him a Magikarp because he is a beginner trainer. And now, onto reviews.**

**First I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter and suggested which pokemon they wanted Ash to have. Now onto my thoughts about your suggestions : )**

**Mew - The rules of this story says that Ash can capture legendaries but only use them in League/Gym battles, not against regular trainers. So once I've got to the pokemon movie (Which I do intend to include in this) I will consider adding Mew to Ash's team. No promises though.**

**Shiny Charmander - I don't think I'll be making Charmander shiny. Ash will be getting his shiny Noctowl, plus another one which has been set out in the challenge and has to be shiny, so sorry about that.**

**Dratini - Several people mentioned Dratini to me, but you need not worry, Ash shall be getting one. It was set on in the rules of the challenge for this story, but I didn't post the list. But yes, Dratini is on it.**

**Mewtwo - Again, like with Mew, I will consider it. But Mewtwo is unlike to be used very much, due to it's dangerous power levels. We'll just have to see what happens throughout the story. Again, a possibility but no promises.**

**Eevee (And All its evolutions) - A few people mentioned Eevee to me. I don't want Ash to have all its evolutions though. I'm thinking of giving one to Ash, one to Misty, and one to Brock. I see Misty having a Vaporeon and Brock either a Jolteon or an Umbreon. I'm not too sure about Ash's yet though.**

**Scyther - This pokemon was always going to be in this story. It is set out in the challenge rules set for this story. I didn't post this information because I didn't want to spoil the story. So yes, there will be a Scyther in Ash's team, and it will be in the story quite soon.**

**Magikarp - As you can see, Magikarp is already in the story, thank you to Lightningblade49 for the suggestion : ) And one day it shall be a Gyarados.**

**Closter - I think it's definitely a possibility for Ash to catch a Cloyster. There was an episode where Jessie caught a Shellder, so I guess I could have Ash catch it instead, and let Misty catch the Slowpoke. Either that, or Ash gets Slowpoke and Misty gets Shellder. Again, a nice idea and one I'll think about using.**

**Koffing - Again a nice suggestion, and not one I'd have thought of without my lovely reviews. Ash has a Muk, and it would be nice to let him have another poisonous playmate, so yeah, I'll give it due consideration.**

**Pikachu - So many questions about Pikachu! Yes, Ash will catch on, whether it be the one Gary has or not, we will see! But as the most canon pokemon Ash has, yes, he will definitedly get one so please be patient : )**

**Abra - Again, a suggestion I like and will think about. Since in this Ash will be cleverer and more talented, I don't think letting him catch a Psychic type pokemon is too extreme. Again, we will have to wait and see.**

**Rhyhorn - I don't think I'll be giving Ash a Rhyhorn, most because I've already got plans for Brock to catch one. We'll see but I wouldn't hold your breathe on Ash getting one.**

**Elekid - Again, this pokemon is in the rules, sort of. Ash must have an Electivire, but the challenger did say the pokemon could be caught in any level. So yeah, I do think Ash will be getting an Elekid sometime in the future. Either that or an Electabuzz.**

**Magby - I'm not sure about Magby, although it is one of my favourite pokemon! So we'll have to just wait and see. Definitedly a strong chance though.**

**Aerodactyl - I was already thinking about having Ash get an Aerodactyl before I got the suggestion. I've got something in mind which will see Ash, Misty and Brock all obtain a different pokemon fossil, which can then be revived into the ancient pokemon. Ash will be getting Aerodactyl, Misty will get Omanyte, and Brock a Kabuto which will evolve into Kabutops. So yeah, Aerodactyl will be in this, but likely to only appear when Ash is at the pokemon league.**

**Paras - I did have another pokemon in mind, but now I'm thinking that when the group gets to Mount Moon Ash could catch a Paras. I doubt it will appear in his team much, and would spend most of it's time at the lab, but Ash will be revolving pokemon a lot in this so we'll just have to see.**

**Diglett - Once again this is a pokemon I doubt Ash will catch. I'm thinking that maybe Brock could catch one, but again, we'll just have to see. Definitedly a possibility for Brock's team though.**

**And I think that's all for Ash's pokemon. Now onto Misty's;**

**Vaporeon - I've already mentioned and yes, I do see her team having a Vaporeon in it.**

**Tentacool and Tentacruel - A few people mentioned this pokemon family in their reviews, and I could see a situation where Misty has to battle that giant Tentacruel, so maybe she will catch a Tentacruel. Either that or she'll catch a Tentacool and evolve it. But yeah, I think Misty will have one.**

**Cloyster - I've already talked about but most like either she or Ash will end up with one. No promises though.**

**Seel - Yes, several people mentioned Seel too. I do want Misty's team to have a Dewgong in it, so I think when we get to Cerulean City, she'll be taking Seel with her on her team. It will eventually evolve into Dewgong.**

**And now, time for a serious question about Misty's team. Should she catch other pokemon or just water pokemon? I've already said that she is an elemental trainer in this, and that she wants to be an Elite Water pokemon. So what do you think. She may be able to catch other pokemon, use them when she needs too, but focus on her water training. Or she could just borrow some of Ash's pokemon from time to time, let me know what you guys think : )**

**Jigglypuff - Well, it is true in the show that Misty said she liked Jigglypuff and would want to catch one, so I guess it could work. But this problem relates back to my question about her team. So as of now, I'm not sure.**

**Oddish - Again the same problem. Right now if Misty caught Oddish I could see her evolving it into a Bellossom, and leaving it at professor Oak's lab with Bulbasaur (Or his evolved forms if I choose to evolve him)**

**And I think that's it. Any more suggestions about anything are always welcome, and I'd let to just point out that since Gary caught over 200 pokemon in his Kantoo journey, I think a reasonable amount for Ash is anywhere between 70 and 100, with lots and lots of team rotations. Of course, some pokemon may just be caught and left at the lab all the time, but I'll try not to let that happen. All captures will be shown though. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter : )**


	5. Interference

**Hey guys! Here's chapter five. Its really just a little filler piece, and its not from Ash or Misty's perspective. But hopefully you'll enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, they're really helpful in getting an insight as to what you guys want so I can make this better. Please note that pokemon is not mine and enjoy.**

**...**

**Interference**

Walking calmly through the trees, the man, the man who had been following Ash and Misty for the last few days now, slowly came to a clearing in the middle of a forest, Viridian Forest. He had followed the two trainers back to the pokemon centre, and had observed the building for an hour before he was satisfied that they weren't going to emerge again for the night. So he had ran all the way to the north of Viridian City, and into the forest. He wasn't far in though, just enough to be able to hold a private meeting with little chance of being overheard.

He grinned slightly as he looked across the clearing and saw the person he was meeting.

'Boss' he nodded. The other man laughed slightly. He was tall, muscularly built and had dark brown hair with a matching rugged beard. He wore a black leather suit like the man trailing Ash and Misty, and he smiled warmly at the younger man.

'How many times son, you only have to call be 'Boss when using the radio. In person you're fine to call me Dad' he chuckled as the two men embraced. They soon broke apart and sat down on the grass, crossed legs and facing each other. They often met out in the wilderness, very few people around and they didn't want anybody to know what they were doing. It was imperative that they weren't discovered, if they were, neither of them wanted to imagine the repercussions.

'So, have you learnt what Suicune was doing there? It was rather unexpected' the younger man noted. The other man, the father, let out a sigh.

'It seems that the master is not only using people to do his bidding, but pokemon too'

'So the master ordered Suicune to spy on the Chosen One?!' without telling us?!' the teen screeched in annoyance.

'Shaun, you have to realise that a disaster like this needs many people AND pokemon working together to avert it. We're placing a huge amount on a brand new trainer's shoulders. The stake of the entire world in fact' the father said solemnly.

'I know… but, argh, I would just like to be in on the loop, if the master doesn't see fit to tell us things like having one of the legendary beasts stalk the chosen one, what else is he not telling us' the teenager, Shaun, wondered aloud.

'Suicune is not stalking him. The Master just wanted to be sure it was him. Apparent pokemon can sense his importance, or at least, legendary pokemon can. Right now we are the only ones who are actively pursuing the chosen one, and interfering in his travels' the father explained to him.

'Which leads me to the next question, why have you summoned me here? You said not to let the chosen one and the girl out of my sight, and then you change your mind completely' Shaun huffed in annoyance, a childlike pout on his face. After all, he had just run for miles! All because of reasons nobody felt like cluing him into! It was so irritating!

His dad looked a little uneasy now, and Shaun could tell he wasn't going to like the answer.

'Ok, when you told me that his first pokemon was a Magikarp… It has, well it worries me. I mean, this boy is destined to save our world again and again, before he even faces the darkness threat ever know to us! And if he catches weak pokemon like Magikarp, that's it, we're all doomed. We can't let that happen' the man started to explain.

'That still doesn't answer my question though' Shaun pointed out bluntly.

'Well, I think it will only benefit the chosen one if we… err' his dad trailed off. And suddenly it clicked in Shaun's mind.

'If we interfere in a much more direct way' he accused angrily.

'It would just be altering fate ever-so-slightly, to change it into his favour. I mean, we us helping him from the shadows, he's team could be so much stronger, more equipped to deal with the dangers he is going to face' his father tried to justify.

'Altering fate?! We'd be doing god knows what to interfere in his journey! And what can we do that will really have much of an effect on him!' Shaun demanded to know. He'd felt bad enough stalking the boy, now he was expected to manipulate events to go in the chosen one's favour! It just felt so… wrong! Controlling! Like he was playing god when he shouldn't be!

'It will start of small Shaun. That's why I called you here tonight' his dad said softly, spreading his arms wide, gesturing at the forest that surrounded them on all sides. Shaun frowned in confusion.

'We need to make sure that he is definitely the chosen one. The master said that he has a pure heart and a compelling desire to help everyone he can, especially pokemon. if he were to come across an injured pokemon, well, the true chosen one would never be able to walk on by' his dad explained.

'So what! Loads of trainers would help out! Even if I found one, I'd help it out. That doesn't make me the chosen one does it?' Shaun asked, incredulous that his father's plan revolved heavily around guesswork.

'We will test him repeatedly Shaun, he just won't know we are doing it. This will be the first test'

'And how, pray tell, are we going to find an injured pokemon?' Shaun asked testily. He knew the answer of course, but did not like it one bit. His dad looked down guilty.

'We injure one ourselves' he muttered, waiting for his son to erupt, which he immediately did.

'And what if I don't want to injure an innocent pokemon. To leave it lying out here in the middle of a forest, alone, scared and hurt?' Shaun asked, his eyes narrowed. His father sighed.

'It's for the greater good Shaun. And anyway, if the boy does not help the pokemon and catch it, I will do so myself' he assured his son. He didn't like his plan much either, but they had to be absolutely certain that Ash Ketchum was the chosen one before they made anymore plans.

'Fine! But I tell you now, I don't like this one bit!'

'Has there been any other developments since Suicune?' he suddenly asked, changing the subject.

'That girl who is travelling we him, I've done some research, and the only person to check into the pokemon centre twice at the same times he did was one Misty Waterflower. She's a water pokemon trainer from Cerulean City apparently. She and Ash both registered for the pokemon league at the same time as each other, which implies that the two of them will be travelling Kanto together' his dad explained his hypothesis.

'And… what do we do about her?' Shaun pressed on.

'I'm not totally sure yet. I was thinking about setting things up so that she is in a better position to help Ash. If they are friends and travelling companions, she will be at his side when the world will need him. Making her have strong pokemon too would be a good asset for the chosen one' he noted aloud.

'Oh great, so interfering in one kid's life isn't enough, now we have to do too. Fantastic! Right, can we please just get on with this' Shaun asked stubbornly as he stood up determinedly. He hated this, this interfering, but if he really had too, he would. But leaving a pokemon hurt and alone nagged at him, but it had to be done, like his father said.

'Yes, the night goes on, and you need to get back. We should get down to business' his father agreed, standing up too.

'So, what is this plan of yours then?'

'We need to ensure that Ash finds a strong but injured wild pokemon. His Squirtle and Magikarp are both water type pokemon, as are all of Misty's. We need to make sure that they have different elements of pokemon too, so I suggest we find some bug pokemon and make our selection from what we find' the father explained. Shaun nodded in acceptance, before he reached into his pocket.

'Abra, come on out, you too Charmander' Shaun said. In a flash of like, his two pokemon appeared before him.

'Jolteon, Zangoose, we need you too' his dad added, and out came two more pokemon.

Shaun's pokemon were very different in appearance. His Abra was small and golden yellow in colour. It had pointed ears, eyes which were always shut, and a long tail. It was sat with its small legs crossed, its hands resting on its knees as it slept.

The other pokemon owned by Shaun was bright orange in colour and had a yellow belly and bright green eyes. It had small claws and a long tail, which had a small flaming burning at the tip. It was the fire pokemon Charmander.

His father's pokemon were also very different. The first one was bright yellow and had pointed spikes in his fur, a white mane running around its neck. It had four legs and a dog like face, with pointed ears and a small black nose. It was an electricity pokemon, going by the name of Jolteon.

The final pokemon wasn't native to Kanto at all. It had white fur with dark red marking set all over its body, and had sharp claws. It had a short tail and stood on two legs, and it had eyes were always seemed to be glaring at its surrounding. It was a pokemon called Zangoose, and was known to be dangerous unless trained correctly.

'Right, we're going pokemon hunting. We need to find the strongest bug type pokemon we can. Please we can lure than too us with fire, Shaun, if you will' the father said to the pokemon, before turning to his son who nodded.

'Charmander, Flamethrower!' Shaun ordered, and Charmander, looking directly up, fired a huge jet of orange and red flames from its mouth with a small roar. The jet of fire went up into the air, forming a huge light source for all the pokemon still moving around in the night. Shaun kept a close eye on where the flames were being aimed. After all, the last thing he wanted was to set the forest on fire.

Suddenly there came the sound of chirping and clicking on all sides. The bushes around them startled to rustling, the leaves twitching in the trees as pokemon moved towards the fire, coming from every direction. Most trainers would panic about being surrounded on all sides, but with a pokemon like Abra, capable of teleportation, they had nothing to worry about.

Soon enough, an army of bug pokemon had formed a circle around them, and the two humans were looking around at the various species in interest. Many were small creatures, this group split up into two main species, Caterpie and Weedle. There were some Metapod and Kakuna, and quite a lot of Butterfree and Beedrill, but nothing that really stood out. There was even a Ledyba from Johto, which Shaun's father was tempted to target, before he caught sight of a much more sensible choice.

This pokemon had a lot of fighting potential by species nature, and a lot of power. They were also quite unusual and not many trainers managed to catch one, which would be an added bonus for Ash if this plan succeeded. It was taller, just shorter than a human, and was bright green in colour. It had wings on its back and its arms were like sharpened bladed. It had a spiky shaped head, and narrowed eyes. The shadows from the fire light caused it to look even more frightening.

'Shaun, we've got our target, the Scyther' his father told him, a smile lining his face. This was perfect. Having the chosen one obtain a Scyther would be extremely beneficial to the events that were to come.

'Abra, Teleport!' Shaun shouted, and in a flash of blue like, Abra, Shaun, Jolteon, Charmander, Zangoose and the Scyther were transported away, right to the edge of the forest. The Scyther span on the spot and glared at them, angry to find itself in a brand new location without any warning. It sensed a threat, and raised it mantises defensively.

'And now it's your turn Jolteon, use Thunder' his dad started off with. He wanted to injure the Scyther just enough so that when Ash and Misty found it, it would be too weak to move or fight, and hopefully Ash would gain its trust by healing it, to the point where he would capture it.

Jolteon's fur crackled as static electricity built in his body, before he let out a roar and large black clouds began to form overhead. They flashed, and a burst of lightning rained down and hit the Scyther. Scyther let out a yell of pain, before it collapsed to one knee, panting for breath as the attack ended. He glared at the humans and their captured pokemon. They wanted to hurt him, perhaps to capture him, but he would not let that happen!

He suddenly vanished in the blink of an eye and reappeared in front of Jolteon, before slamming into the electric pokemon. Jolteon was sent sprawling backwards, letting out a groan as he went.

'It wants to fight back, Zangoose, Fury Swipes' the father ordered, and Zangoose lunged at Scyther, slashing it with his claws again and again and again. Scyther winced as the claws left a small gash across his chest. He was panting heavily for air now, but unfortunately for Scyther, the battle wasn't done yet.

'Charmander, Flamethrower, Abra, Shadow Ball' Shaun cried, hating himself for his actions.

Scyther used a Quick Attack to dodge the Shadow Ball, and managed to get out of its path in time. Unfortunately for him, it caused him to run straight into Charmander's Flamethrower, and being a bug pokemon, it did double damage. He was now covered in burns.

'Zangoose, Fury swipes, Jolteon, Bite' his father ordered. He knew that Scyther was weak now, but he had to make absolute sure it wouldn't fight the chosen one, at least now physically.

'Charmander, Scratch, Abra, Hold it in place with Psychic' Shaun yelled, guilt lining his tone. Abra glowed brightly and Scyther froze, locking in place. He struggled to move, but was unable to break free. Zangoose, Jolteon, and Charmander were all charging at him, and in a barrage of physical attacks, Scyther fell unconscious. His body was beyond battered, and there were small cuts, burns, scratches and bite wounds all over him.

'Ok, that's enough' Shaun demanded, and the pokemon all stopped their attacks. He turned away from Scyther, unable to look at the poor pokemon they had just viciously assaulted. He heard his father sigh.

'I know you hate this Shaun, but it was necessary, we have no choice' he whispered and Shaun nodded ever so slightly.

'Come on, we have to move Scyther to where Ash and Misty will find him' he said, shaking his head and he knelt down to the bloodied Scyther before him. Together, Shaun and his father gently lifted the wounded pokemon between them, and carried him through the forest.

When they were a few minutes' walk from the edge of the forest, they lowered Scyther to the ground, where he moaned in his sleep in pain. Shaun felt guilt rising in his stomach yet again as he looked down at the helpless creature.

'We shall leave Scyther here, and I will stand guard. I'll make sure that the Scyther doesn't leave, and that no other trainer's try to capture it or come near it. You had best get back to the pokemon centre. Phone me when they enter the forest' his father instructed him.

'Yes dad, I will' Shaun mumbled softly, his eyes still on Scyther. When he couldn't stand to look at what he had done no more, he turned and back walking out of the forest, tears welling up in his eyes, and his heart praying that they really were doing the right thing.

**...**

**And there's chapter five. Now I'm thinking that there'll be several chapters like this, where Shaun and his father help Ash, Misty and Brock out from behind the scenes. Nothing to drastic but just helpful. Anyway, You all wanted a Scyther, and the rules say Ash has to catch one, so here it is, or at least, nearly. Next chapter Ash will catch three pokemon, including Scyther, but in the future there shouldn't be this many captures in one chapter.**

**And please give me a little help in what else you'd like to see Shaun and his dad do from behind the scenes to help Ash. I've got some parts of this story in mind, but other's I'm really stuck on. So please give me a hand by leaving Reviews! Also, pokemon suggestions are always welcome and I'll do my best to please you all : )**


	6. The Birds and The Bugs

**I'm back! Hello! So, Here's the next chapter. Sorry it's been... a month nearly, but I've just been busy with work and my other stories. Plus I've been sick and then it was so hot I wasn't really in the mood to write much. But I'm making up for it with this chapter. Over 7500 words! So I hope you enjoy and please remember that Pokemon is NOT mine : )**

**...**

**The Birds and The Bugs**

Ash and Misty had stayed one more night at the pokemon centre after their day at the lake, and once they had had their breakfast the next morning, the two of them had discussed what their next move should be. Ash had suggested that they set off into the forest immediately to cover as much ground as possible, but Misty had reminded him that responsible trainers first had to make sure they had enough supplies when out of town.

The trip from Viridian City to Pewter City would take them through Viridian Forest, which would take three days to cross through, and that was if they didn't stop for breaks. So realistically, it would take them five or six days to reach the next town, so they had to make sure they had everything they would need.

In the end they had visited the Pokemart after they had checked out of the pokemon centre and had returned their room keys. Misty had delegated a lot of the things they bought since Ash was still very new to all this. She had ensured that they had bought enough food, not only for them, but plenty for the pokemon and any pokemon they caught on the journey. Viridian Forest was full of weak pokemon, so it was perfect for Ash to flesh out his team or to train against, and he had every intention of doing just that.

They had also bought several pokemon related items, such as potions and pokeballs, and even a couple of antidotes. They were expensive, but necessary, and with the pokeballs they had bought, they'd both be able to catch twelve pokemon, two full set of teams for rotation.

They had also stopped by an outdoors equipment shop. It was similar to the fishing shop they had visited the day before, only this one sold a wider range of equipment. They had each bought themselves a small one man tent each, Ash's being blue and Misty's being pink, and a sleeping bag each.

Once they were finished, they had stopped by a burger van on the road to get themselves a quick lunch, and eating it as they went; the two trainers started walking towards the north of the city.

'So tell me Ash, how are you thinking of training that Magikarp you caught?' Misty eventually asked him. After all, if he told her his plans, she would know what she could do to help him with them. Ash sighed slightly as he unclicked the pokeball with Magikarp in it off his belt, looking down at it.

'To be honest, I really have no idea. I guess I thought that the first pokemon I caught would have a move it could use in battle, and I could train it that way. But Magikarp only knows Splash, so right now I have no idea what to do' Ash said softly. Misty frowned thoughtfully for a moment. Her sisters had several Magikarp's between them and they had always had that problem, but they also managed to teach the fish pokemon how to battle in the end, usually by having Magikarp learn how to use Tackle. And Misty was a competent trainer in water pokemon, so she'd help Ash out with that.

'I know exactly what to do. Let your Magikarp out Ash' she ordered, and looking at her in confusion, Ash saw her bringing out a pokeball of her own. Ash shrugged, before he did what she asked. Soon, Magikarp and Staryu appeared before them. Staryu stood stationary, looking up at its trainer, whilst Magikarp flapped around, quite literally a fish out of water.

'There's only one combat move that a Magikarp can learn simply by levelling up Ash, without the aid of a TM or a Move Tutor, and that's Tackle. And an easy way to teach Magikarp to learn it is by giving it a practically demonstration' Misty explained as Ash tried to follow.

'So… if we get Staryu to show Magikarp Tackle, it could learn it faster?' Ash paraphrased her words.

'Exactly. Of course it'll take longer than just doing that. Magikarp needs to learn how to aim and put as much of its power as it can into a Tackle, plus it would also need to be able to hold its body up on its fin to do so' she went onto explain. Ash frowned slightly. It sounded like quite a lot of work just to teach Magikarp this one single move, but then on the other hand, it was his duty as a trainer to help his pokemon grow and by teaching Magikarp Tackle, it could get experience much quicker and hopefully evolve into Gyarados.

'Right, so where do we start?' Ash asked excitedly. He had wanted to rush onto Pewter as fast as he could, but now he would be satisfied with just handing across at the edge of the forest and begin Magikarp's training, and hopefully squeeze some in for Squirtle whilst he was at it.

'First, we need to show Magikarp what a Tackle looks like. Staryu, use Tackle on that tree' Misty ordered her pokemon, pointing it a rather wide thick oak tree close to them.

'He-Ya!' (On it) Staryu floated towards the tree with its psychic powers before it slammed into it, bouncing back slightly. It had left a sort of dent in the bark of the tree trunk, and Ash was rather surprized Staryu hadn't cracked its jewel with the force it had tackled. Squirtle's tackles were nowhere near as strong as that one.

'How does Staryu pack so much power into its body Misty?' Ash wanted to know.

'It's all in the distance. The faster Staryu moved towards its target, the more power there is behind it. Of course that only applies to physical based attacks, and even then there are exceptions. But if you can get Magikarp to learn to balance on its fin, it could manoeuvre much easier' she explained slowly so that Ash could take it all in. he nodded in understanding as she finished, and then knelt down to the red fish pokemon, who had been watching but wasn't taking much of the scene around him in.

'Magikarp… can you please stop thrashing about?' Ash asked slightly annoyed. He had been going for 'can you try and stand up' but trying to explain how to learn a new attack to a fish was going to be more challenging than that.

Magikarp didn't stop moving completely, but did slow down at least. And for now that would be good enough for Ash.

'Right, I'm going to hold you up ok, and then you try and hold yourself up on your fin, understand' Ash explained as best he could.

'Karp, Karp, Karp' (Urrr… Think so) the fish pokemon blubbered. Ash gently wrapped his hands around the fish pokemon, noting the slimy texture of the red scales, before lifting his pokemon up vertically, so that Magikarp was standing on his fin but with Ash holding him up.

'Right Magikarp, I'm going to let go now. Try and keep yourself in this position' Ash said encouragingly as he slowly let go. Instantly Magikarp toppled over, and began flapping about again, distressed.

'Karp, Karp, Karp, Magikarp' (Bad, Bad, Bad, Very bad) Magikarp gurgled.

'It's ok Magikarp, it was only your first try, you'll get it will practice' Ash was quick to reassure his newest friend.

'Try to shirt your strength to the base of your fin Magikarp, to this point here' Misty said, kneeling down and touching the point on Magikarp's lower fin.

'Ready, we'll try again' Ash said as he lifted the fish pokemon up again and slowly let go. Magikarp squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced, or at least that's what it looked like to Ash, before he wobbled slightly and fell again. But he had held himself up for a few seconds at least, which was an improvement.

'Good job Magikarp, that was definitely better'

'Right now I'd say you such work on strengthening that fin' Misty advised after a moment's thought.

'Well how do we do that Misty?' Ash wondered.

'A Magikarp's scales and fins are quite durable, that's how allows that to live almost anywhere. The next time we're near a river, you should have Magikarp dragged his fin along the bottom of the river, roughen it up against the rocks. That's make it easier for Magikarp to keep his balance, and once Magikarp's learnt that, you're halfway there to learning Tackle' Misty told him.

'Right, Magikarp, you and I are going to work on toughening up that fin, so return for now. I'll let you out when we find the next river' Ash grinned as he returned his pokemon to his pokeball, Misty returning Staryu also.

'And now we're ready to go on' Misty said, and the two began walking into the trees.

'You know, that came a little out of the blue' Ash noted aloud.

'What did?' Misty frowned at him.

'Well, just stopping like that to suddenly try and teach Magikarp Tackle' Ash elaborated.

'You should always stop and pause when a thought comes to you. You may not see it now, but by stopping and beginning to teach Magikarp Tackle will benefit you greatly. This forest is perfect for training a weak or beginner pokemon like Squirtle and Magikarp, since the pokemon here aren't very strong. By starting before we run into any pokemon though, it gets Magikarp a better chance of actually being able to pull the move off, do you see what I mean?' Misty asked him as they walked around a large tree blocking their path.

'I guess so. I wouldn't like Magikarp's chances if the first time I tried to teach it Tackle was in battle against a wild pokemon. Although I wouldn't place Magikarp in that position to begin with, I'd choose Squirtle' Ash replied.

'It might not always be so easy, you see what if Squirtle gets knocked out and you can't escape from the pokemon? You would have to use Magikarp, and then where would you be? Plus you need to use Magikarp in battle or it won't get experience' Misty reminded him gently.

Ash frowned thoughtfully as he took in her words, trying to think of a compromise for that situation. They fell into comfortable silence, both lost in their thoughts, neither suspecting for a moment that they were being followed.

…

'Boss, they're here, they're in the forest' Shaun whispered as he carefully slinked through the trees. He was being careful not to step on any twigs or pokemon; after all, he couldn't alert them to his presence. If this plan was to succeed, they had to find that Scyther without realising they had been set up to find it.

'Are they on track to find Scyther?' his dad asked.

'Affirmative, they are walking straight towards where you are. Keep out of sight, but make sure Scyther is out in the open' Shaun warned him.

'Roger, over and out' his father replied before the line cut off. Shaun sighed slightly. He hoped that Ash really was who they thought he was, or it meant that they had attacked that poor Scyther for no reason.

…

'Hey Misty, pokemon get experience just by facing another pokemon don't they?' Ash asked after a moment. He was trying to think back to his lessons with his father when they had covered how to calculate EXP Points a pokemon earn from each battle.

'That's right, why do you ask?' Misty replied.

'Well, I was thinking, until Magikarp learns how to use Tackle, I could send him out to battle wild pokemon, and then return him and send out Squirtle. That way, both pokemon would gain a share of EXP points, and train them both up at the same time' Ash explained his theory. Misty had to admit it was impressive for such a new trainer to come up with a method of training like that, but of course it also had a few minor flaws in it.

'That is a good idea on principle Ash, but like I said, what if Squirtle gets knocked out? I mean we could use some of the potions we bought on him, but after a while they'd get less and less effective. And remember, Squirtle only knows two attacks, Muddy Water and Tackle. I think you should come back to your strategy once Squirtle's a bit stronger' Misty replied, careful when picking her words.

'I suppose that makes sense. But it would be useful when training weaker pokemon. to send the weaker pokemon out first, and then battle using a much stronger one' Ash concluded, already thinking about where and when he could apply this strategy to his training.

They were quite deep into the forest now, and suddenly for a bush just of too the side of them, they heard a rustling in the bushes. The two of them stopped and eyed the bush suspiciously.

'I think there's a pokemon in there' Ash whispered, careful to keep his voice down. Hid dad had always drilled it into him not to spook a wild pokemon. First of all in case it attacked him, and secondly, in case it fled and Ash had wanted to capture it.

'I think you're right' Misty nodded in agreement, raising a pokeball in her hand in case it suddenly attacked. Ash mirrored her actions silently; both of them stood waiting, their nerves growing slightly.

But their nerves were quickly loosened as the pokemon crawled out of the bushes and made its appearance. It was a small bright green caterpillar like creature, with a yellow under-belly and a Y shape red antenna. It had large bug black eyes, and small yellow ring markings running up its body. It was a Caterpie.

Misty let out a small gasp of fear, taking a step back. Ash turned to her questioning. After all, having faced down Team Rocket and that jerk Riley, without so much as batting an eyelid, it was a little surprising to see her squeamish around a small pokemon like Caterpie.

'Hey, are you alright?' Ash asked his friend gently. Misty blushed slightly, and looked down at the ground.

'Sorry, it's just… I don't like bug's very much' she admitted, slightly afraid Ash was going to start laughing at her. But he didn't. It had been his mother who had taught him about people, and how everybody had the right to be afraid of something and that Ash should respect that.

'Hey, there are things I'm scared of too' he told her softly, but keeping Caterpie in sight in the corner of his eye. He wanted to catch that Caterpie, having a bug type on his team would break the mould of water pokemon he had, plus Caterpie were a good pokemon for beginner trainers to try catching and training.

'Yeah? She turned her head up to look at him.

'Yeah, I don't like the idea of somebody hurting a pokemon, and it terrifies me to think that there are people out there who do that. Plus I'm dreading that I'll be a bad trainer and make mistake when raising my pokemon' Ash admitted. Misty let out a low sigh. That was so like Ash, to be worried about not just his own pokemon, but any pokemon out there.

'But if I manage to catch that Caterpie, I'll try to keep it away from you, ok' Ash said gently.

'Thanks Ash, I think that's for the best. I wouldn't want to hurt Caterpie's feeling but I really don't like bug pokemon' she said, gratitude in her voice that Ash was being compassionate about this.

'Right, and now, Squirtle, I choose you' Ash said, letting Squirtle out of his pokeball. The water pokemon's eyes landed on Caterpie, and Squirtle instantly stood ready for battle, knowing already what Ash intended to do. Caterpie looked up curiously for the leaves he was munching on. He took one look a Squirtle, and turned to face him, his large black eyes narrowed slightly.

'Squirtle, we're going after that Caterpie! Use Muddy Water!' Ash shouted, wanting to go as he meant to go on. Squirtle fired a jet of brown water at Caterpie, who ducked down, avoiding the attack. He retaliated by a fine silvery thread from his mouth, aiming at Squirtle.

'That String Shot! Squirtle use your Tail Whip to stop it!' Ash cried, recognising the attack and knowing how it would try Squirtle and slow him down.

Squirtle's tail glowed for a moment as he brought it up, slashing through the String Shot and negating it before it could reach him.

'Now use Tackle!' Ash ordered, and Squirtle ran forwards, slamming his shell into the caterpillar pokemon and knocking it back.

'Follow up with Bubble' Ash carried on whilst he had the chance. This time Squirtle's water attack, a large cloud of exploded bubbles, hit it's mark and Caterpie was flung into a tree from the force out it. He slit down to the base of the tree, and Ash knew that this was his chance.

'Pokeball go!' he cried, throwing an empty pokeball at the weak bug pokemon. He was pulled inside and the ball began shaking, to and throw, to and throw, until finally… it stopped and dinged, signal successful capture.

'Alright Squirtle, we did it, we've caught Caterpie'

'Nice one Ash' Misty smiled at him. It was a little less enthusiastic than she had been with Magikarp, because it was a bug pokemon, but it a genuine enough all the same.

'Thanks, now then, come out and meet the team Caterpie' Ash said, letting his new friend out of his new pokeball, letting Magikarp out at the same time. Both pokemon looked around, Magikarp looking curiously at Ash, and Caterpie in alarm. Ash smiled and knelt down.

'It's ok Caterpie, my names Ash, and from now on, we're going to be teammates' Ash explained softly, holding out his hand towards Caterpie. Caterpie gently brushed his antenna over Ash's hand, checking his scent to see if he would be deemed trustworthy, before the green pokemon squealed happily.

'Cater…Pie' (Hello, Ash) he said happily.

'Great to meet you too Caterpie, Squirtle, Magikarp, say hello to our new friend' Ash grinned at all three of his pokemon.

'Squirtle' (Hey kid!) Squirtle winked at the smaller pokemon.

'Karp, karp, karp' (Hi, hi, hi) Magikarp chanted as he flapped about.

'Right, return for now gang' Ash said, returning all his pokemon at once, setting the pokeballs back on his belt.

'Wow Ash, you already have half a full team on your side' Misty noted as they began walking off again.

'Yeah! I can't wait to get training properly with all of them. I wonder what other pokemon are in this forest' Ash wondered aloud. Of course there would be the standard pokemon like Caterpie and Weedle, along with their evolved forms, but as living creatures, pokemon moved around all the time, so there was really not guaranties on what they'd find anywhere. Just the way Ash liked it!

…

'Hey Boss, the kid just caught another pokemon, a Caterpie' Shaun told his father, bringing up the connection again for the second time in a few minutes. His father sighed slightly.

'You see why it is necessary for us to intervene now Shaun? A Magikarp and a Caterpie will not help him stop what is to come' his father told him solemnly.

'Yeah, but don't forget, having a powerhouse like a Gyarados is going be useful for him, and a Butterfree isn't bad either, considering all the special status inflicting moves it can learn' Shaun reminded him.

'And then there's the obvious, having a Blastoise is useful, it may not be the strongest pokemon, but it's definitely formidable' Shaun added as an afterthought.

'True enough I guess, but I want Ash to at least have a small guarantied strong pokemon to begin with, and Scyther's just that pokemon. Now where are they?' his father changed the course of the conversation.

'They should find Scyther soon, I just hope it was worth it' Shaun sighed.

'So do I son, so do I' his father replied before Shaun hung up the call.

…

'Hey, can you hear that?' Ash said softly, coming to a pause. They had been walking for a while now, though they were still close to the edge of the forest. And just few a second, Ash was sure that he had heard a faint stirring noise, a weak pitiful sound.

'Hear what?' misty said, straining to hear for anything unusual. There was nothing to be heard or so she thought.

Ash didn't reply, he just looked around silently.

'Scy…ther' (Argh… urgh) a weak voice moaned.

'This way!' Ash cried, running off into the bushes.

'Hey Ash, wait up!' Misty called after him, darting off into the bushes too. Ash didn't slow down though; he just kept on running, ploughing his way through the branches of thorns of the thick bushes around him. He struggled to push past some thick vines for a second, before he managed to break through, and found himself in a large clearing, with thick trees on all sides of the small enclosure.

And there in the centre of the clearing, lying on its stomach, moaning in pain and in a roughed up state was a pokemon. A Scyther if Ash remembered his pokemon species correctly.

'Oh my gosh' Misty gasped as she caught up behind him and spotted the obviously hurt Scyther.

'Come on, we have to help it' Ash said determinedly, rushing over to the injured pokemon's side. He slowly pressed his fingers against the Scyther's necks. He breathed a sigh of a relief as he found a faint but steady pulse.

'Looks like it's being beaten up pretty bad' Misty noted as she crouched down on the other side of Scyther.

'Do you think it was a pokemon who did this?' Ash wondered. After all, he knew that Scyther were very strong by nature, and if there was something else in the forest capable of doing that to one, it could mean danger, not only for him and Misty but all the other pokemon in the forest.

'I doubt it… I bet it's down to human hunters or something like that' Misty spat, her tone revolted. Ash felt his blood boiling; he HATED the thought of pokemon hunters. It sickened him!

'Right… first we need to stop the bleeding… potions and bandages' Ash muttered, rummaging through his bag. His dad had shown him who to heal basic injuries like the ones inflicted on Scyther, but they'd have to take him to a pokemon centre to make sure he didn't have any internal injuries.

'Right, Misty can you spray these potions on some of the more dark bruises, that should take the pain away' Ash started, passing several potion bottles to the red-head, who nodded and began doing what Ash had told her. She herself didn't really have much experience in helping injured pokemon; she usually just took hers to a pokemon centre. Maybe she should get Ash to teach her how too.

'Right, let's turn him over' Ash said softly, gently placing his hands under Scyther's body. Misty did the same on his other side, and gently they turned the Scyther so it was lying on his back.

'Right, we need to apply pressure to his wounds and use the bandages to seal them up for now' Ash said, more to himself than to Misty. He slowly wrapped a bandage around some of the larger cuts, whilst using pokemon plasters to cover the over ones.

He was still covered in burn marks and had a few minor bruises, but at least most of the bleeding had stopped and that which hadn't had slowed down. Ash was hopeful that if they could get Scyther to a pokemon centre soon, he would make a recovery. But if he ever found out who had done this, he'd make sure that they paid for it.

Slowly Scyther groggily opened his eyes, and the moment he saw Ash and Misty, instead of being pleased to see help had arrived, he was furious to find humans near him.

'SCYTHER! SCY! THER!' (Humans! Get away from me!) He yelled, clearly enraged.

'Get back, Misty get back!' Ash ordered, and the two of them scuttled away from the green pokemon. He knew better than to aggravate an angry pokemon, and one with blades like Scyther, they could be in serious danger if Scyther got even angrier.

Scyther raised its mantises threatening, before a pained look overtook its face and it slumped backwards so he was lying down again. Timidly, Ash slowly approached the injured and scared creature again. Misty hung back she that she didn't overwhelm the frightened pokemon.

'Scyther, we just want to help you get better, look down at yourself. You've been hurt, we just want to help you get better' Ash said softly, trying to sound reassuring.

'Scyther, Scyther, Scy…' (Leave… me… alone) the pokemon whispered weakly before his eyes closed and he fell unconscious. Worried, Ash checked his pulse again; glad to see Scyther was only asleep and nothing worse.

'I get the feeling that Scyther isn't going to trust to many humans, I'm convinced he was attacked by hunters' Misty said as she slowly came closer again.

Ash frowned, trying to think of what best to do now. They couldn't leave Scyther in this condition; they couldn't call themselves proper trainers if they did that, but if he caught Scyther to take him to a pokemon centre, he highly doubted Scyther would be happy about that. Unless he could convince him to come voluntarily though, Ash couldn't see another alternative.

'I think we should set up camp for the night and tomorrow I'll try and convince Scyther to come with us'

'Right… I'll get started on a fire than, you make a start on the tents' Misty said, pulling the necessary equipment she had from her bag, along with her tent as Ash brought his own out of his own bag.

And the two of them quickly got to work on doing that, both of them keeping a close eye on Scyther in case he woke up again. it wasn't too long before the fire was burning and the tents were standing, and ash and Misty were sitting eating some soup they had boiled on the fire.

'Why would anybody attack a pokemon and just leave it injured' Ash wondered aloud to himself. It made no sense. If you were hunters, surely you'd catch the pokemon instead of just leaving it. Maybe they had done it just for fun, and that made him even angrier.

'I have no idea… I don't understand why they do it and then leave Scyther behind' Misty replied softly.

'What do we do if we can't convince Scyther to come with us?' Ash asked quietly.

'We can't help him if he won't let us, all we can do is try our best to get him to follow us' Misty sighed. She didn't like the idea of leaving Scyther alone and injured any more than Ash did. They fell back into silence and carried on drinking their soup. They sat by the fire for a few more moments, before Ash stood up.

'I'm going to sleep, see you tomorrow alright?' Ash bid her goodnight.

'Sure, goodnight' Misty nodded, standing up and heading towards her own tent, ready for bed herself. She watched as Ash withdrew a blanket from his bag and carefully wrapped it around Scyther. They had decided that it would only upset Scyther if he woke up to find himself in a tent, so they were going to let him sleep outside. Hopefully in the morning he'll have calmed down enough to listen to them.

…

'SCYTHER' a voice bellowed.

'WAAH!' Ash yelled as he shot upright in his tent, narrowing missing hitting his head of the fabricated roof. He squirming his way out of his sleeping bag and unzipped his tent, crawling out to see what the commotion was about.

Scyther was going absolutely berserk, slashing at the blanket Ash had placed up him to ribbons, before trying to cut his way through the bandages wrapped around his body. Thankfully he couldn't angle his mantises to be able to cut them, but that just annoyed the aggravated pokemon more so.

Ash sighed slightly, so much for Scyther calming down by the morning.

'What's going on?' Misty asked as she emerged from her tent too.

'It's Scyther, he's going nuts. I think putting that blanket over him might have been too… human' Ash shrugged with a frown. How on earth was he meant to help this pokemon if it refused to let any human near him?

'Scyther, calm down, please. Me and Misty are not going to hurt you' Ash said softly to the distressed creature. His dad had always told him not to raise his voice to an angry pokemon because it would only distress them more, and that was the last thing a trainer needed.

Scyther turned around and glared at him, before charging at him, his mantises raised high, ready to slash Ash to pieces.

'Ash look out!' Misty cried in warning. Ash ducked and managed to miss the blow that knocked his tent over. Thankfully there was no real damage to the tent, but now Ash had bigger problems.

Scyther was panting slightly for his fit of rage, and Ash could tell that although some of his energy had returned to him, Scyther was still very weak right now.

(This isn't working; he's not going to listen to a human… maybe…) Ash thought as his mind went back to a vivid memory from his childhood.

…

_Dom had taken Ash into some woodland on the edge of Pallet Town one Saturday morning. Normally they went to Professor Oak's lab, but Dom wanted to show Ash how pokemon behaved when they were wild, and although the habits at the lab were perfect for observing pokemon, all the pokemon there were tame, and Ash needed a more realistic view on the pokemon he would encounter._

_They had only been walking a short distance into the tree when they had heard it._

_'PRIM… EAPE' a weak voice had said._

_'Come on, this way' Dom had said urgently to Ash. They had rushed through the trees and eventually they had found the source of the noise. A Primeape that was trapped underneath a huge tree trunk that had fallen on top of the fighting type pokemon._

_'Dad, what do we do?' Ash asked worriedly, concerned about the wild pokemon. Dom turned and smiled down at his son. That was so him, to be concerned about the wealth fare of ALL pokemon._

_'I'll show you want we do' Dom grinned before he took out three pokeballs._

_'Blastoise, Machamp, Hitmonchan, I choose you' he said, letting the three pokemon out in a flash of light. The three pokemon turned to their trainer for instruction, like soldiers to their commander. They were all very well trained, and were very dependable._

_'We have to free Primeape, please help lift the tree trunk of him' Dom ordered, and the three of them set to do just that. They struggled and grunted with the effort it took, but eventually they managed to get the tree off the poor pokemon._

_But instead of being happy or grateful, Primeape was furious. It turned out that it was because of a local woodsman. He had been cutting down trees for timber and had caused the trunk to fall on Primeape. And that made Primeape angry at ALL humans._

_Without so much as missing a beat, the Primeape lunged towards Ash, who let out a frightened squeak as Dom threw his body over his sons, protecting him from the blow. _

_Blastoise reacted without being ordered, and used a Hydro Pump to knock the pokemon back._

_'Blastoise, no! Don't attack him' Dom cried. The pokemon was scared and most likely injured for his accident._

_Blastoise looked at him questioningly, but stood ready to protect his trainer and his son if he needed too. Primeape was back on his feet and was glaring at Dom and Ash, looking livid and out for blood. Ash clung to his dad's help, scared, but Dom didn't even bat an eyelid._

_'Hitmonchan, please tell that Primeape that we do not mean it any harm, and that we shall leave it be now, if it allows us safe passage' Dom called to his fighting pokemon. Hitmonchan nodded and cautiously approached the angered pokemon, and relayed his trainer's message._

_The Primeape stared into Hitmonchan's eyes, searching for any hint of dishonesty, and finding none, he took a step back, still glaring at them all, but not moving to attack them._

_'Right, back away now Ash, slowly' Dom whispered and together the two humans began to move away. Blastoise, Machamp and Hitmonchan followed them, and soon the Primeape ran off into the bushes and out of sight. _

_Dom sighed with relieve, before he turned to Ash who was tugging on his hand to get his attention._

_'What is it son?' he asked the boy._

_'How did you know that Hitmonchan could convince him?' he wanted to know._

_'Ah, a good question. The answer is really quite simple. Primeape is a fighting type pokemon, as is I'm sure you know is Hitmonchan. Pokemon react better to other pokemon of the same type, plus pokemon can sense when another pokemon is trying to trick them, which is why Primeape believed Hitmonchan' Dom explained, glad his son had thought to ask that question, it just might help him out one day._

…

Ash was very glad he had thought of asking that question now, because it provided him with an answer as to what he should do in this situation. If he hadn't of had his dad to explain it, he'd be clueless right now as to what to do.

'Caterpie, come on out' Ash said, letting out the newest member of his team. Caterpie appeared before him, and looked up at him with curious wide eyes.

'Caterpie, please tell that Scyther that we're not trying to hurt it in anyway. We don't pose a threat to it, that we just want to take it to the pokemon centre so that it can get better, and then it's free to leave. We only want what's best for it' Ash said to the small caterpillar pokemon. Caterpie nodded and wriggled over to where Scyther was still thrashing about.

'CATERPIE' (HEY! LISTEN!) The small pokemon yelled to get Scyther's attention. Scyther stopped for a moment, and turned to look down at the other pokemon, a bewildered expression lining his face as to where that Caterpie had come from.

Caterpie quickly relayed what Ash had asked him to pass onto Scyther, careful to make sure he got every word right. To say Scyther looked shocked was an understatement. He looked at Caterpie who just stared back, hoping Scyther would see the truth in his eyes.

Scyther than carefully looked down at his injuries. They were plenty of them, and if he was honesty with himself, he needed treatment… but could he really trust these humans. It had been humans that had put him in this condition in the first place, was it worth the chance?

Suddenly, before anything else could be said, a loud voice crowed from above.

'Pidgeotto!' the voice cried. It was still high-pitched, and looking up, they all saw its owner. It belong to a large bird pokemon that was mostly covered in light brown feathers, but had lighter feathers on its belly and wings, and red and yellow feather in its tail and trailing from its head like hair. It had a sharp beak and narrowed eyes, which were honing in on Caterpie, a hungry glint in its eyes. It was a Pidgeotto, and Ash knew that meant trouble for his bug type pokemon.

Pidgeotto were unusual in the wild, or at least in these parts, so Ash was wondering what one was doing there. But all those thoughts were pushed from his mind as Pidgeotto flew towards Caterpie at break-neck speed.

'Caterpie! Look out!' Ash yelled as the Pidgeotto dive bombed towards Caterpie.

'Cater… Pie!' (Oh my!) Caterpie squealed as he ducked. Pidgeotto shot overhead, and Caterpie began slivering away as Pidgeotto turned in the air towards him.

'Caterpie! Use String Shot' Ash cried, snapping out of his surprize at the sudden pokemon appearance and getting his wits together.

He knew that being a bird, Pidgeotto was most likely trying to _eat_ Caterpie, and Ash would NOT let that happen.

Caterpie began spitting silk from his mouth, trying to entangle Pidgeotto in it and immobilize the flying type pokemon. But Pidgeotto just flapped his wings and summoned a very small whirlwind between his wings before he flung it towards Caterpie. Ash knew that it was a Gust attack, and would be super effective against Caterpie, a bug type.

'Caterpie, dodge it' he cried but it was too late. The Gust swept Caterpie and sent him flying up into the air. He hit the ground with a dull thud and was clearly weakened.

Meanwhile from his position by a tree, Scyther was watching with mild interest. He had seen plenty of bug pokemon eaten by bird pokemon before, but that Caterpie… it had tried to help him… he wanted to intervene but his usual solo attitude was preventing him from involving himself… that was his way of life, don't get attached, don't get involved… so why did he want to help the Caterpie?

Pidgeotto swooped on Caterpie, determination in his eyes, but Ash refused to surrender his pokemon like that.

'Caterpie, return' he yelled, dragging Caterpie into the safe confines of his pokeball. But it seemed as though Pidgeotto didn't take too kindly to his lunch being stolen from him, and flew towards Ash, glaring daggers at the human.

'Squirtle, Bubble attack!' Ash yelled, throwing Squirtle's pokeball through the air. The water pokemon came out and immediately blew exploding bubbles at the bird pokemon which stopped it in its track.

He responded by stooping low and using his wings to beat dirt and sand towards Squirtle.

'Go into your shell to avoid the Sand Attack' Ash ordered, and Squirtle withdrew into his shell. Once the attack ended, Squirtle popped out again.

'Muddy Water' Ash cried, wanting to end this soon. Squirtle shot a blast of murky water which hit Pidgeotto head on, but he managed to shake it off.

'Ash, maybe we should just run, that Pidgeotto is tough' Misty suggested.

'Not yet' Ash said through gritted teeth. He wasn't going to retreat yet. Misty was right, that Pidgeotto was tough, and therefore would be a big help if Ash could catch him.

Pidgeotto then went onto try using Tackle on Squirtle, but the water pokemon managed to dodge it.

'Bubble followed by Muddy Water!' Ash cried. Squirtle spat a wave of bubbles at Pidgeotto which exploded around the bird pokemon, and before he could react, a jet of Muddy Water knocked him out of the air. He fell to the earth with a crash. This was Ash's opening!

'Pokeball, go!' he cried, throwing a pokeball at the flying pokemon. He wasn't really expecting it when the ball dinged, signalling the capture. Considering Pidgeotto were strong by nature, plus this one definitely had fighting spirit, he expected it to break free and to have to fight it more. But he grinned none-the-less and ran and picked the pokeball up, holding it high in the air.

'Alright! We did it! We caught Pidgeotto!' he cried delightedly, before he ran and hugged Squirtle.

'You we great out there Squirtle, you were amazing' he said as he spun Squirtle around.

'Congratulation's Ash, that was some turn around' Misty grinned at him.

(Yes… that human and his pokemon did well… I wonder if… and he did try to heal me… should I?) Scyther thought to himself as he calmly observed the trainer's happy moment.

'Come on out Pidgeotto' Ash cried, letting his newest pokemon out to meet him properly. The bird flew through the air and hovered gracefully in front of Ash.

'Hey Pidgeotto, my name is Ash and I'd like to welcome you to my pokemon team!' Ash greeted him.

'Pidge… Pidgeotto' (Pokémon Team… Awesome!) Pidgeotto squawked, having calmed down, before lightly landing on Ash's shoulder.

'I'd like you to meet Caterpie and Magikarp… and please don't try to eat any of them or attack them' Ash said in a lightly scolding voice. Reluctantly, Pidgeotto nodded and Ash let both his other pokemon out. As soon as Caterpie saw Pidgeotto he hid behind Ash's leg, whilst Magikarp just flopped about uninterestedly.

'Guys, say hello to Pidgeotto' Ash said happily.

(He's inviting that Pidgeotto into his team no questions asked… already he cares about him… so quickly… he must love all pokemon… would he love me?) Scyther wondered silently to himself.

Pidgeotto had swooped down low to Caterpie and was apologising for his instincts kicking in, and was promising to control them if they were going to be teammates as Scyther approached the group.

'Scy… ther' (Human… I) he said softly, getting Ash's attention.

'Scyther' Ash said quietly, wondering why the pokemon was cautiously approaching him now instead of attacking, and praying that having Caterpie explain to him had worked.

'Scy, ther, Scyther, ther, Scyther' (I wish to challenge you) Scyther said, raising his mantises to a battle position. Ash looked at him curiously, before it clicked in his mind.

'Are you saying you'd like to battle with me?' Ash wanted to know. Scyther nodded his head slowly. Ash smiled sadly but shook his head.

'I'm sorry Scyther but no, you're in no shape to fight. I won't battle you whilst you are in that condition' Ash said gently. Scyther's eyes widened in surprized.

(He really is concerned about my health… he really does care… if I go with him… maybe I really would be cared for… be part of something) Scyther thought to himself. He lowered his mantises, and allowed himself to smile at Ash.

Ash looked at Scyther in confusion, wondering why the pokemon was suddenly smiling at him.

'Scyther, Scy, Ther' (Go on then, catch me) Scyther said, pointing at one of the pokeballs on Ash's belt. Ash looked down and saw what Scyther was pointing, and grinning, he plucked one from his belt and held it up.

'Are you sure Scyther, you want to be part of my team?' Ash wanted to make sure Scyther was positive, after all, there'd be no turning back, Ash wouldn't leave any of his pokemon behind, not ever.

'Scyther' (I'm certain) Scyther nodded, and grinning widely, Ash lightly threw the pokeball at Scyther. It hit him in the chest and the large bug pokemon was pulled inside. The pokeball didn't even struggle, it immediately signalled the capture.

'Alright, we gained Scyther's trust!' Ash cheered as he picked up the pokeball holding yet another new pokemon.

'I'm amazed Ash, I really am, already you have five pokemon on your team' Misty smiled at him.

'I know, and I'm really glad that Scyther trusts us now, but I'm shocked he wants to come with us full-time. I'm not going to complain though' Ash grinned. Squirtle, Magikarp, Caterpie, Scyther and Pidgeotto. They were all going to be the best of friends one day, and Ash knew that together, they'd be able to beat anyone, so with that warm thought in mind, Ash recalled them all into their pokeballs.

'Well, I guess we should get moving' Misty said, heading towards her tent to start packing it away.

'Definitely' Ash agreed, making a start to disassembling his own collapsed tent. Once the two trainers were done, they began walking off, chatting about what they had planned for their training, and what their journey might throw at them next.

…

Shaun stepped out from behind a tree, a wide grin on his face as he rang his father.

'He did it, he managed to gain Scyther's trust and he caught him. And he caught a Pidgeotto too' Shaun was practically beaming at the thought that at least now Scyther would get medical attention, and a loving trainer all at the same time.

'He did well, very well. I am glad that our plan yielded the desired result. But this is only the beginning, we have a lot to do if he is to be ready in time' his father told him.

'I know, but he'll do it, I'm sure' Shaun said happily.

'You know the next plan? The one for when they reach Pewter City?' he dad asked him.

'Yes Dad, I know' Shaun replied before he hung up. He quickly followed the team younger trainers before he lost them, thinking about how best to set the next plan into motion. Like the one with Scyther, he wasn't happy about it, but he'd do it if it meant helping Ash before it was too late for any of them.

**...**

**And there's another one : ) So, I hope you all liked that. Ash has Caterpie and Pidgeotto, and another 'new' pokemon for his team! Now once Scyther is treated up in Pewter City he'll get used more, but until than I don't imagine Ash using him very much, if at all in battle. But he will be used eventually, and probably quite a bit, so just hang on : ) Oh, and I've thought of a solution what to do about Misty's pokemon! It's so simply I can't believe I didn't think of it before! But I'll reveal that in time : ) Anyway, all thoughts and ideas for chapters are welcome in reviews, and any pokemon suggestions will be considered too : ) Hope you enjoyed and please keep reading!**


	7. The Samurai's Duel

**Hey readers : ) Glad you seemed to like the last chapter, and I hope you like this one : ) Please note that the rules of this challenge was now created by me, and Pokemon is not mine either. Enjoy : )**

**...**

**The Samurai's Duel**

It was yet another hot day in the Viridian Forest, and Ash and Misty were starting to feel the heat. They'd been walking for days through the trees, and both of them were getting tired. Their feet were aching and the sun was doing its best to make them drowsy and therefore slower.

'Gosh, I'm beat' Misty sighed tiredly, wiping the back of her wrist across her sweating forehead. Ash did too, the day was quite hot and considering how much ground they had already covered that morning, it wasn't surprizing they were both knackered.

'Me too, how about we take a break?' he suggested and Misty whole-hearted agreed. She flumped to the ground and lay on her back, closing her eyes. Ash chuckled before he sat on the ground, cross legged. Misty just wanted to relax right now, and that was fair enough, but he had other ideas in mind for the use of this break. He quickly pulled his pokedex out of his pocket and began flicking through it.

He had already looked through all the entries of the pokemon he had captured, and had memorised their move sets, but the pokedex was useful for other areas of being a pokemon trainer. His father had programmed it to tell him what pokemon could be found where. Of course Ash had already learnt this, but it always helped having a reminder. According to the pokedex, the common pokemon located in the forest are Caterpie and its evolutionary family, and their counterparts, Weedle and its evolutionary family. And rarely Pikachu had even been spotted in the Viridian Forest. That caused Ash to starting thinking about how Gary was getting on with that Pikachu of his, but he quickly pushed the thought away. He had his own plans to think about without wondering what Gary's were.

He turned his attention back to the pokemon listings for Viridian Forest. Of course other pokemon could always wander in; after all they were all living creatures that moved about all the time, so he couldn't say for definite that they wouldn't run into anything else, like Scyther for instance. In fact he was kind of hoping that they would. Five pokemon this soon was impressive for a beginner trainer but it was nowhere near enough to achieve his goal of begin Champion.

It would also be helpful to have a completed team for when he faced the Pewter City Gym leader. From what he remembered, the gym leader there specialised in Rock Type pokemon, so Squirtle was his obvious choice. Magikarp and Pidgeotto were out, and he wasn't sure about Caterpie and Scyther. Scyther was still recovering from the attack on him so Ash was a little hesitant about using him to battle and Caterpie was still too weak for a gym battle. But if Ash trained him up, he could be a good choice for the Rock pokemon of Pewter Gym. And that's the thought that got him straight into action.

'Caterpie, come on out' he cried, letting the small green pokemon out into the bright sunshine.

'Pie' (Ash) Caterpie greeted his trainer.

'Morning Caterpie. Today I've decided to train you up a little. Now who should your first challenge be against…?' Ash trailed off thoughtfully. Pidgeotto was out; Ash did NOT want a repeat of the previous day. Magikarp wouldn't be a wise choice, and neither would Scyther. That only left Squirtle, but he felt that maybe the water pokemon would be too much for him. Maybe Misty would lend him her pokemon. Starmie and Staryu were way to strong, but now that Ash thought of it, Goldeen would be the perfect opponent. Strong enough to hold her own but weak enough for Caterpie to have a chance.

'Hey Misty, do you mind if I borrow your Goldeen to battle Caterpie' Ash turned to her.

'Sure… just return her to her pokeball when you're done' Misty waved a hand in the general direction of her bag. She wasn't really paying much attention. She was just content with her snoozing under the warm summer sun.

'Thanks Misty' Ash smiled as he walked over to her bag and took out the pokeball holding Goldeen.

'Come on out' Ash said, letting the red and white fish pokemon out. Instantly Goldeen looked around, wondering why Ash was calling her out instead of Misty.

'Goldeen, do whatever Ash tells you too' Misty called out lazily to her pokemon. Goldeen turned her attention to Ash, willing to listen to him if her trainer trusted him so much.

'Goldeen, please can you battle with my Caterpie so that both of you guys gain some experience' he requested and the fish pokemon nodded, before flopping down into the river which ran all of the way through the forest, from Viridian City to Pewter City. They'd been following that river as their guide, and it was perfect for Goldeen to battle in.

'Ok, Let's see what you guys got, Goldeen, use Peck and Caterpie, you try to block her with String Shot' Ash ordered. Goldeen dove under the water, and Caterpie looked out into the river, trying to see where she had gone from his position on the riverbank. Suddenly she shot up through the water, breaking through the surface and jabbing him with her horn.

'Pie!' (Ouch) Caterpie yelped in pain, before he began spitting silky string from his mouth, aiming at the fish pokemon. Goldeen managed to dodge and landed gracefully in the water.

'Caterpie, try Tackle, Goldeen, use Tail Whip' Ash cried, and Caterpie lunged, slamming into Goldeen who was floating on the surface. She was pushed back into the river slightly, but then she shrugged of the attack by slapping Caterpie with her tail, knocking him into the water where he flopped like a… well like a bug in water.

'Oh no!' Ash cried, rushing to the edge of the river and cradling Caterpie in his arms, scooping the small pokemon out of the water. Now that he had thought it through some more, that had been incredibly stupid for him to have Caterpie tackle an opponent that wasn't on the land. He'd have to remember his lessons on the battlefield if he was going to train his pokemon effectively.

'Are you ok buddy?' Ash asked in concern.

'Caterpie' (Yeah, sorry) Caterpie hung his head, ashamed to have floundered like that.

'I'm sorry Caterpie, that was all my fault' Ash apologised. He was about to console his pokemon further, when he nearly jumped out of his skin by a shrill scream.

'AAAAH!' Misty shrieked, causing Ash to spin on the spot, very alarmed.

'Misty what's wrong?' he asked, panic in his voice.

'Over there! Look over there!' she whimpered, pointing at something a few feet from her. Ash turned, following her finger, before he chuckled slightly.

At the base of a small berry bush, looking scared and feeble, was a small worm like pokemon. It had brown skin, a red nose, and a short greyish white horn. It was the common pokemon Weedle.

'A Weedle? Really Misty, I thought you were being attacked!' Ash turned to her sceptically. Misty flushed, looking embarrassed.

'Sorry, it's just I opened my eyes and it was just… there!' she said, breathing heavily. Ash sighed. He knew that Misty wasn't fond of bug pokemon, and to wake up and find one right in your face must have shocked her more than scared her.

But Ash was more interested in the Weedle now, who happened to be having her lunch by chewing on some large blue Oran berries. Weedle evolved in a similar manner to Caterpie, so it wasn't overly necessary for Ash to catch her. But he was still beginning as a trainer, and his father had always drilled it into him to catch as many pokemon as he could, that's what the Champions did. And his dad had never steered him wrong before, so Ash quickly made up his mind.

'Right, that Weedle's going to make the sixth member of my team' Ash muttered to himself, confident that he could pull off a victory. He quickly recalled Caterpie and Goldeen, tossing the latter's pokeball back to her owner, who stashed it in her bag.

'Pidgeotto, I chose you' Ash called, letting the flying type pokemon out into the air.

'Pidgeotto, Otto, Otto, Pidgeotto!' (You called me Ash?) Pidgeotto hovered in the air, looking down at his trainer curiously.

'We're going after that Weedle, so use your Quick Attack!' Ash cried.

'Pidge!' (Charge!) Pidgeotto cried as he sped like a bullet towards the bug, who finally looked up curiously, only to find herself under attack. She squealed with pain as she was suddenly sent flying into the bush, getting caught in the thorns. She struggled to get free but was unable to do so.

'Now use Gust' Ash carried on with. Pidgeotto began flapping his wings until a small but powerful gust of wind hit the Weedle, sending her high into the air. Ash took out a pokeball as he watched the Weedle beginning to descend. When she got close enough, that was when he was strike.

'Are you Ash Ketchum?' a voice suddenly asked behind him. Ash frowned, he hadn't heard anyone walk up behind him, and surely Misty would have noticed somebody there.

Misty turned around to see a large bulky boy wearing a weird kind of outfit, sort of like armour or something. He had a strange helmet, and to Misty's shock, a Samurai Sword which he was sliding out of its hoister. And he was pointing it right at Ash!

'ASH LOOK OUT!' she screamed in warning to her friend. Ash still had his eyes trained of the Weedle, watching her path as she fell. He knew whoever was behind him had done something to scare Misty like that, but he also knew that if he didn't catch that Weedle things would get worse.

His father had taught him something, more important than anything else. He could remember the seriousness in his dad's voice when he had told him that if he were ever to attack a wild pokemon to capture it, he needed to catch it. If he just let it go or it escaped, chances were the pokemon would still see him as a threat and then go warn its flock or herd or swarm. And then they could attack him. And the last thing Ash needed or wanted was to be attacked by an angry swarm of Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill.

So he quickly threw the pokeball in his hand, hitting Weedle and pulling her inside, before he span on the spot, only to jump back in shock at the rather large sword being pointed in his face.

'What the heck?!' he cried in alarm. The Samurai smirked slightly, pleased to have sparked shock and fear in both Ash and Misty.

'Are you Ash Ketchum?' he asked again. Gulping, Ash nodded, wonder who this guy was, what he wanted, and more important, why he was pointing a sword in his face. He was vaguely aware of the small ding behind him, signalling that the Weedle had been successfully caught.

'I am Simon, Simon the Samurai, and I challenge you to a duel' Simon declared pompously. Ash blinked in confusion. This guy sure was weird.

'How did you know my name?' Ash asked as finally, much to his relief, Simon lowered his sword from his face.

'A Samurai knows all' Simon replied ominously. Behind him, Misty scoffed in disbelief.

'I have crossed paths with several pokemon trainers in these woods. Three battles leave me in three defeats, one to a Bulbasaur, one to a Charmander, and curiously enough, one to a boy with a Pikachu that refused to fight for him' the Samurai told him. Ash's eyes widened. That sounded a lot like Gary.

'I gathered that there would be more trainers from the town of Pallet to come, perhaps one with a Squirtle, tell me, am I right?' Simon asked, and Ash nodded.

'I wish to gather you to a duel, do you accept?' the Samurai asked again.

'Alright, you're on' Ash grinned. At that moment, Pidgeotto landed on his shoulder, the pokeball with Weedle inside clutched in his beak.

'Oh yeah, just hold on a second' Ash quickly said to Simon, before thanking and returning Pidgeotto, and calling out his newest pokemon. He quickly introduced himself to his newest friend, who warmly nuzzled his hand, but was careful to avoid poisoning him with her horn. He decided to see what she could do, and told Simon she was to be his first pokemon, in what they decided would be a three-on-three match. Victory would go to the trainer with two wins.

'To test the strength of your Weedle, I shall be using its evolved form, go Kakuna!' Simon cried, and out of a pokeball came a pokemon which called Misty to shriek in alarm. A large rounded cocoon like creature appeared, gold in colour with a rounded head and wide, black alien-like eyes. Ash immediately knew that was the form Weedle would take if she evolved.

'You may go first' Simon said, gesturing with his hands. And Ash immediately sprang into action.

'Weedle, hit Kakuna with Poison Sting' Ash cried. If he could poison Kakuna, it was slowly lose health. And consider Weedle only knew how to use String Shot and Poison Sting; he didn't have much to work with.

Weedle's horn bubbled with purple toxins before she fired a small needle towards Kakuna. It struck the evolved pokemon and caused him to glow purple for a moment, a pained look in his eyes.

'Kakuna, Bug Bite' Simon countered, and Kakuna bounced across the field, a slit in his face opening before it clamped down on Weedle, who like out a cry of pain.

'Fling him off Weedle' Ash warned her. Weedle angrily jabbed Kakuna with her horn, forcing him to let go of her tail. He glowed purple again, before his skin cracked and fell away, leaving brand new golden webbing underneath. Ash stared at the remains of the first skin for a moment, before his eyes widened as he realised what had happened. That was Shed Skin, an ability several bug type pokemon had which meant that could shed their skin and therefore any status problems inflicted on them, like poisoning!

'Bug Bite again Kakuna!' Simon shouted, and Kakuna lunged for Weedle again. But Ash had a plan, and immediately he put it into action.

'Weedle, use String Shot to gag him!' he cried, and Weedle began spitting silk from her mouth, which wrapped around Kakuna's mouth and glued it shut. Kakuna looked confused and upset by the fact he could no longer open his mouth.

'That was a cheap trick!' Simon growled angrily. Ash just shrugged, there was nothing in the rules about it and it was a valid tactic.

'Weedle, use Poison Sting repeatedly' Ash ordered, and Weedle began firing wave after wave of poisonous needles at Kakuna. The cocoon pokemon tried to bear through the barrage of poison strings, but in the end they were just too much, and Kakuna passed out.

'Oh yes! Great job Weedle!' Ash cheered.

'Weedle!' (Hooray!) Weedle cheered, happy to have pleased her new trainer.

'Kakuna return, you were mighty in your defeat. Metapod, prove to this trainer that you shall not fall to him' Simon cried, letting out his next pokemon. Ash wasn't really surprised to see another cocoon pokemon, and like with Weedle, Ash wanted to see how Caterpie would cope against his evolved form. This cocoon was bright green and had a more pointed jagged shape. It also had dull yellow eyes with seemed to be watching with a bore expression.

'Caterpie, I chose you' Ash cried, letting his next pokemon out. Caterpie, having one failure on his mind that day, was determined to readdress the balance and be victorious.

'Caterpie' (I'll beat you)

'Pod, Metapod' (Whatever)

'Metapod, use Harden' Simon ordered, and Metapod flashed white as his skin grew thicker. Ash knew he'd have to end this quickly if he didn't want to be stood there all day.

'Caterpie, use String Shot followed by Tackle' Ash ordered, and Caterpie quickly followed through, until moments later, a tied up Metapod was sent flying backwards.

'Metapod, harden again' Simon ordered, and Metapod's Defense rose again. Ash gritted his teeth, but then paused, and then he smiled as a thought came to him. He had a suspicion that that Metapod only knew the move harden, and if he did, he could use that. Caterpie would be free to keep on tackling him, and therefore get quite a lot of experience by the time Metapod was defeated.

'Caterpie, use Tackle, Tackle him continuously' Ash ordered. Caterpie charged forwards and rammed into the cocoon pokemon, knocking it flying. He then crawled after it, and tackled it again. He kept on going, again and again and Metapod could do nothing to stop him.

'Caterpie, Caterpie, Caterpie, Caterpie, Caterpie!' (Keep going, must win, keep going, must win, keep going) Caterpie chanted to himself as he kept on send Metapod bouncing off in different directions before he crawled along after him.

'CATERPIE!' (I must beat you!) Caterpie yelled as he sent Metapod down for the final time, before suddenly he was glowing in a white light.

'What… what's happening?' Ash asked, slightly nervous in case there was something wrong with his pokemon.

'It's evolving!' Misty gasped as Caterpie changed shape. He grew bigger and thickened and his shape turned from smooth rounded circles into a jagged diamond sort of shape. When the light died down, he was the spitting image of Simon's Metapod, unless you counted the fact that Ash's was conscious.

'Oh wow, so that's evolution! Cater… I mean, Metapod, how do you feel?' Ash asked as he approached his new pokemon.

'Metapod' (Amazing)

'I guess Caterpie's determination to win and the fact that he managed to do so triggered his evolution' Misty said thoughtfully, but Ash wasn't really concerned with the reasons why. He was just so happy that one of his pokemon had evolved.

'You were great, you deserve a rest, so return for now' Ash grinned as he returned his second pokemon to his pokeball.

'I guess the final match is redundant, a pity, I was saving my best for last' Simon commented.

'Well hey, maybe we could meet up another time and you can battle me again' Ash offered as he shook his hand.

'I would enjoy that, the chance to re-battle you and avenge my defeats. Until the next time, I bid you farewell' the Samurai bowed his head, and without further ado, he sprinted off into the trees. Ash and Misty just stared after him.

'Well that was fast' Misty softly commented.

'It sure was. He was a little weird, but what does it matter. I can't believe I've caught a new pokemon and evolved one all in the same day!' Ash said cheerfully.

'I know! I'd better get serious in my own training or you might just overtake me' Misty giggled. Laughing, the two of them set of walking again, their goals set firmer in their hearts as they headed onto Pewter City.

**...**

**And there's another one! Now I know that Ash's team is really bunched up at the minute type wise, two water, one flying, and three bugs, but there is a reason I gave Ash a Weedle, one which will become clearer in time : ) And yay, one of Ash's pokemon has evolved! Now, if you guys have anymore suggestions, I'd gladly take them. If you want a certain pokemon to be caught, or a way of capture like helping an hurt or lost pokemon, just leave a review and I'll do my best : ) Thank you to everyone has reviewed this story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter : )**


	8. Stop Bugging Those Bugs!

**Hey readers! Next chapter's up already : ) Firstly I want to thank everybody that has reviewed this story, I do read them all and they always make my day better, so thank you all : ) Now, onto the chapter and please remember that Pokemon and the rules of this challenge are NOT mine : )**

**...**

**Stop Bugging Those Bugs!**

As the two young trainers carried on their way through the forest, Ash couldn't keep the grin off his face. Two days had passed since he had battled the Samurai and captured Weedle, and already he could see the signs of progress. Both Ash and Misty were content with the time it was taking to reach Pewter City, because they were both spending a large portion of their breaks from their walking working with their pokemon in their goal to get stronger.

Misty's pokemon were still proving too much for Ash's, but his pokemon were definitely catching up. He was confident that by the time he reached Pewter City, he would definitely have the foundations in place to hold his own in a gym battle. He may not be able to prevail, but definitely pose a challenge, at least to the first gym leader, though that was only because he was rumoured to be the weakest.

They were currently on another break, and this time they had stopped by a river, which was perfect for Ash to do some training with Magikarp. He'd already let out all his other pokemon, and had set them their tasks. Squirtle was working on a move Ash was really hopeful he could learn before reaching Pewter City, Rapid Spin. He has seen Misty's Staryu and Starmie utilising that particular move and thought it was a good idea to have Squirtle learn it too. So his partner pokemon was spinning in his shell, trying to gather speed to begin with. After that he could work on his direction.

Meanwhile, his bug pokemon were training against each other. Scyther, who Ash still refused to let battle, was keeping an eye on Metapod and Weedle for him, helping them both with their technique. They were having a little problem though. For some reason, Weedle refused to attack Metapod. Ash had tried explaining to her that she wasn't going to hurt him, just practice against him, but the female bug pokemon was having none of it. Ash had shrugged it off, but Scyther knew what the reason was, and he was a little interested to see how the young Weedle's future would play out with the oblivious Metapod, without any interference from him. He had seen the interested looks Weedle would give Metapod, the blushes when she was caught; it was what thoughts she was having about the green cocoon pokemon.

In addition to that, Pidgeotto was working hard to. He was trying to make his Quick Attacks even quicker. Ash found that the flying type could be a little hot-headed, determined to be the best, but was also very obedient, the perfect combination for training a pokemon. He was zooming through the air, and slowly but surely, his speed was increasing. One day, he'd be the fastest Pidgeotto around, and he was willing to work hard for it.

So whilst his other pokemon were keeping themselves busy trying to get stronger, Ash was doing some one on one time with Magikarp.

'OK Magikarp, when you swim, try to drag your fin along the riverbed' Ash instructed as he waded into the shallow waters, gently placing the fish pokemon in the water and holding him upright, steading him. Magikarp began swimming into the current, and Ash could see him grimace as his fin was dragged along the pebbles, but he was determined to keep going. He managed to keep going for a few moments, before he groaned and began floating backwards. Ash quickly caught him before he drifted away.

'Ok Magikarp, that was a really good first attempt' Ash compliment the red pokemon, before righting him for another attempt. This time Magikarp dragged his fin along the riverbed for nearly a full minute. The next time it was for ninety seconds. Slowly the length of time Magikarp's fin could endure started to go up, and the grin on Ash's face widened. Yes, he was sure that by the time he reached Pewter City, his pokemon would at least be a bit better prepared to deal with the gym leader's pokemon.

…

Whilst Ash was preparing with the pokemon he'd already captured, Misty was preparing her team in a completely different way. Although she was happy that her friend was doing so well in building up his team, she was a little alarmed at how quickly he was doing it. Maybe it wasn't so surprizing though. She was an elemental trainer, and therefore she was only interested in capturing water type pokemon. And that meant that Ash, not being one, had many more opportunities to increase the number of pokemon he was training than she did.

So whilst he trained, and they were in a location where Water Pokémon habited, Misty was further up the river, her fishing rod out in front of her, her stare fixed on the water for the moment that the float went beneath the surface. The moment the float sank, she was determined that she would add the fourth member to her team of water pokemon.

And as she waited, she was doing some serious thinking about her upcoming gym battle. She had been raised in a gym, and although she had never actually participated in a gym battle before herself, she'd observed her sisters many times. She knew that even though they were more interested in their careers as actress models, they were tough to defeat, and she was sure the gym leader in Pewter would be the same, even though she clearly had the advantage.

She was working out the details of her game plan. Starmie was definitely going to be her backup. The purple starfish was without a doubt her strongest pokemon, and she was sure it would be able to hold back anything the gym leader could throw at it. But her starting pokemon was the choice that was giving her trouble. Staryu had experience, she wasn't doubting that, but if she were to use Staryu, the surprize element to her Starmie would be lost. But her Goldeen was fairly weaker, and occasionally had trouble moving on land, so she wasn't sure how well she could hold up against a gym leader's pokemon. But she still had time yet to make her final choice. After all, once she arrived at Pewter City she wasn't going to go marching up to the gym. She'd take her time, be properly organised first. Good planning and attention to detail; that would be the key to her success.

She had just reached this conclusion when suddenly her float vanished into the water, making her jump slightly, before she grinned and wretched her fishing rod upwards. There was a loud splash followed by a soft thump as she flung her capture to the ground. Her eyes lit up at the pokemon she had managed to snag.

It was small and very cute, and was deep blue in colour. It was round and had no arms, just short legs and feet. It had wide curious eyes and bright pink lips, and a white belly with a swirling black pattern on it. It was a Poliwag. Misty couldn't believe her luck. She loved Poliwag, mostly because they were so cute. Also, her sisters had several Poliwag at the gym in Cerulean City, so she knew quite a lot about them. She was determined that this was the day when she'd have her own Poliwag, and quickly set about making it a reality.

'Starmie, come on out!' she called, letting out the starfish pokemon.

'Urrr' (Awaiting orders)

'Use… huh?' Misty cut herself off as she took a closer look at the Poliwag. It was hopping about frantically, and not because of the imminent battle, but more like… he was worried about something.

'Poli… wag… Poliwag… wag… wag… Poliwag' (Please, you must help, it's awfully, please help!) the Poliwag came bounding up to her, jumping up and down and trying to get Misty's attention. Misty blinked. Something was wrong, and she knew that as a pokemon trainer, it was her responsibility to try and help if she could.

'Is something wrong little Poliwag?' she asked, crouching down so that the Poliwag would hopefully calm down a little so that she could try to understand.

'Poli, wag, wag, Poliwag!' (Yes there is, it's very wrong!) Poliwag kept jumping.

'Err, I can't understand you, so maybe if you showed me' Misty suggested, and instantly Poliwag hopped into the river, keeping afloat so that Misty could still see him. Misty quickly put her things back in her bag and put it on as he began to swim up the river, with Misty following along the bank.

She was very curious as to what was upsetting the Poliwag. She did want to catch him, that she'd admit, but as a trainer it was her duty to help pokemon first, capture them second. And she'd help this Poliwag in any way she could.

He led her up the forest to a large clump of reeds, and beyond them was a clearing in the trees of the forest. And what she saw made her heart sink to the floor. A group of adults, all dressed in black uniforms were red Rs on them were using large sticky nets to entangle hundreds of bug pokemon, before carelessly flinging them into cages. And even worse, or at least to Misty, more were using large nets to scoop water pokemon out of the river before dumping them in large tanks. They were all being captured, no doubt to be used for crime or to be sold, and it was disgusting, they were hurting them and treating them badly, locking them in cages far too small to comfortably hold so many pokemon. And they just kept shoving more and more in!

She needed to help, she knew she did, but she also knew that there were more Rockets than she had pokemon, and if the Rocket's manipulated the captive pokemon to make them attack her, she'd be sunk. She needed to get help herself first, and with that thought in mind, she quickly jumped in action.

'Poliwag, stay here ok, I'll come back to help in a few moments, just… don't do anything until I get back. I promise you I'll help your friends' Misty whispered and Poliwag nodded, floating the water but not moving.

Misty turned and ran as fast as she could back down the river, not stopping until Ash was in sight.

'Ash! Quick! I need your help!' she called over to him as she approached. He was still training with Magikarp, although now he was out of the water and watching as Magikarp stood on his fin without any assistance, a definite improvement. Soon he'd be able to use his Tackle, Ash was sure of that.

But at her calling, Ash looked up to see his red haired friend running towards him.

'What's the matter Misty?' he asked in concern.

'Ash, it's terrible, there's a group of Team Rocket catching hundreds of bug and water pokemon! We need to stop them!' she cried out in distress. Instantly, Ash recalled all his pokemon to their pokeballs before gathering up his bag.

'Lead the way Misty' he said, and with a nod, the two trainers were off running through the forest.

…

When they arrived and met up with the Poliwag, whom Misty had given a quick explanation about, Ash and Misty hid in and peered through the reeds, careful to keep themselves hidden from sight. The group of Team Rocket agents was still there, and the cages were quickly filling up. They just kept on snagging more and more water and bug pokemon in the nets and kept flinging the entangled pokemon into the cages. They watched as a whole swarm of Butterfree were captured and held in the barred cells.

Ash gritted his teeth. He hated watching this, it was awful. These people couldn't care less about the innocent pokemon they were sentencing to miserable futures, but he was determined to avert that if he could. There was only a few of them after all, with all their pokemon combined they could take them.

'Misty, let's surprize attack them' Ash whispered to his friend. Misty turned and looked at him in shock. That was a risky idea. Not only could they be accused of inflicting injuries, but the Rockets could deal them a lot of damage if they were overpowered, but then… she couldn't just let the pokemon suffer like this… she had to help, so steeling her nerves, Misty gave a short nod.

The two trainers quickly and quietly let out all their pokemon, and gave a quick whispered explanation about the situation and what they wanted the pokemon to do. Their plan was simply; distract the Rockets whilst Ash and Misty freed the captive pokemon.

After a few brief second in which the pokemon made sure that nobody was looking at them, they all jumped into action.

Scyther started things off with a Quick Attack. Ash hadn't been happy about it, but this situation needed them all, so he would let his recovering pokemon fight just this once until they managed to reach a pokemon centre. Scyther was behind one of the Rockets within seconds, and sent him flying forwards, causing him to yell out in shock.

'What the… so we have a trouble maker' one of the grunts shouted when he spotted Scyther.

'SQUIRTLE' (ATTACK!) Squirtle cried, using his Bubble attack on the grunt that had spoken. He cried out in pain as the Bubbles exploded on contact, knocking him to the ground. By now, all the Rockets had realised that they were under attack. One woman was knocked the ground by Metapod who had Tackled her, and another man was running, covering his backside as Weedle fired her Poison Sting at him. And Misty's pokemon were helping out too.

Staryu was using its Rapid Spin to encircle one of the grunts, who was standing fearfully still, trying to avoid being hit but was practically detained. Starmie had frozen another's legs and trapped her in an Ice Beam. She tugged and tugged at her frozen legs but to no avail. Pidgeotto was pecking at one's head, but Goldeen and Magikarp were stranded, unable to help the others due to their lack of movability on land. Even Poliwag was trying to help, and was using his Water Gun to hold one of the grunts pinned to a tree from the pressure.

'Fools! Use your pokemon!' the leader was shouting, bringing up a pokeball of his own. The pokemon he let out caused Ash to flinch slightly. It was a Fearow, a large feathery brown bird pokemon, a Flying type, with a large beck like a drill and a red spikey hair piece, and a glare set in his eyes. Ash could vividly remember that Spearow that had attacked Gary, and was NOT looking forward to what its evolved form could do.

One by one to other Rockets began letting their pokemon out, but they were all fairly weak pokemon. One had a yellow and black stripy wasp like pokemon with two large stingers, a Beedrill.

There was a Butterfree, one had a purple slimy creature made from glop called Grimer, and another had a Pidgey. One had a Rattata, and another had an Ekans. The next pokemon to appear was a Koffing, and the next was a small orange crab like creature with beady blue eyes and two small mushrooms growing from its back, a Paras. The final pokemon was a small white furry creature with long arms and legs and a curled tail and a pink nose. It was a Mankey.

Ash and Misty quickly jumped out from their hiding place to give their pokemon more instructions. They had told them what to do against the Rockets, not the Rockets' pokemon.

'Pidgeotto, use Gust and take out that Paras' Ash quickly ordered, surprizing the Rockets in the process but he really didn't care. That Paras could have status inflicting moves, and that was the last thing they needed in these circumstances. Pidgeotto stooped low and began beating his wings to blow Paras into a tree. He then processed to begin pecking the grass type pokemon, trying to knock him out before he could retaliate.

'Starmie, use Ice Beam to trap that Ekans, Staryu use Rapid Spin on that Butterfree' Misty quickly followed with. She could remember that time with Jessie's Ekans and she was not keen on it happening again. Starmie quickly sealed the Ekans in a block of ice, and the Butterfree was knocked back across the sky as Staryu slammed into it.

'Beedrill, take care of that Metapod and Weedle with Sludge Bomb' one of the Rocket's ordered, and the Beedrill's stingers glowed purple, bubbling with poison before it fired. Metapod, unable to escape quickly enough was knocked out instantly and Ash quickly returned him. Weedle on the other hand managed to dodge the first attack and squirmed away as Beedrill tried to attack her again.

'Weedle, try to hold it back with Poison Sting, Squirtle help out with Muddy Water' Ash countered. Weedle began firing poison from her horn as Squirtle came bounding up, firing a jet of brown water at the ball of poison that had been fired to keep it at bay. It caused an explosion, shrouding the three pokemon in a cloud of smoke.

'Fearow, use Drill Peck to end this' the leader ordered, having had enough of the battle and wanting it over. Fearow dived downwards, and effortlessly took out the weaker Goldeen and Magikarp. Misty and Ash both quickly recalled their pokemon as Fearow headed upwards, aiming to take out Pidgeotto next.

Meanwhile Poliwag was having a hard time too. He had managed to use his Hypnosis to make the Pidgey and Rattata go to sleep, but was having some trouble with the Koffing and Grimer. The sludgy pokemon had grabbed Poliwag, and the Koffing was splattering him with his Sludge attack. When Misty noticed this, she quickly came to Poliwag's aid however.

'Starmie, use Psychic to stop them' she called, and Grimer and Koffing were swiftly frozen in a bright blue aura, before being thrown towards their own trainers, knocking them out. It was just the Fearow left now, but it was still causing a lot of trouble. Scyther and Pidgeotto were trying to keep him at bay from the air, but he wasn't giving them an inch. They had to keep focusing on dodging lest they be taken out too.

Squirtle and Staryu were using their Bubble and Swift attacks respectively, trying to land a hit, but the Fearow was too well trained and was effortlessly dodging all their attacks, but was still having trouble in landing his own.

Weedle meanwhile had crawled up a tree, and was using the height to try and hit Fearow with a Poison Sting, whilst Starmie was using its Ice Beam to try and trap their opponent, but neither of them could land a hit. Poliwag was also trying to help; using his Water Gun and Bubble attacks, but like the others was unable to hit their mark.

'Fearow! End them all with your Whirlwind!' the Rocket leader ordered, and Fearow began flapping his wings, causing huge winds to whip up around them, rustling the trees and pulling all the pokemon save the ones in the cages into a huge vortex. Round and round they went, faster and faster, and Ash knew that if they didn't do something, all the pokemon would be knocked out of the match.

'Everyone, attack at the same time!' Ash yelled to be heard over the wind. And all the pokemon, including Misty's team and Poliwag did what he had suggested, since Fearow was busy keeping the hurricane going.

Squirtle was the first to act, and he filled the vortex with Bubbles which exploded when touched.

Next was Pidgeotto, who managed to fire off a small Gust attack that shifted the spinning air currents and temporarily disrupted the whirlwind.

Scyther went next, unleashing a large wave of blades from all over his body. It was a move Ash was pleasantly surprized to learn Scyther had, Vacuum Cut, an attack with attacked a large area at once. Perfect for when being used inside a vortex of wind.

Weedle, who had suffered the most damage inside the whirlwind, found the strength to fire several Poison Stings towards Fearow.

Staryu and Poliwag both used their Water Guns to add their own power to the mix. And finally Starmie used its psychic powers to collect all the attacks together and merge them into one ulterior attack, a huge pulsating ball of white light, which hit Fearow head on and exploded. The Whirlwind ended, and all the pokemon managed to land safely, as the Fearow was flung to the ground, unconscious.

'YES!' Ash and Misty both cheered together.

'Fearow… you have failed me, return' the leader scowled as he recalled his pokemon. He turned to Ash and Misty, a grim sneer plastered over his face.

'So you think you've done well do you, well perhaps you'll want to see how well you fair against this' he snarled, pulling out a gun from his pocket. Ash and Misty both took a step back as he pointed it at them.

'The pokemon can dodge attacks… but can the trainer's dodge bullets?' he asked mockingly as he went to fire.

'Ariados! Hyper Beam!' a voice suddenly called from the trees, and from out of nowhere, a huge beam of swirling orange light hit the man in the side, sending him flying. The gun fell to the ground not far from where the leader landed an angry burn on one side. He lunged for the gun, no doubt to aim at whatever had just attacked him, but Starmie was already on the case, and had used its Psychic attack to levitate the gun towards Misty.

'Thanks Starmie, nice work' she said as she threw the gun into the river, hoping that would be the last she would see of the vile thing. She and Ash then quickly looked around for their saviour, but couldn't see him through the trees.

'Now use Your String Shot to bind them all!' the man called again, and soon every single Rocket grunt was bound together and gagged. At that moment, the pokemon and the man came out into the open, and Ash's jaw dropped.

The man was tall and thin, in his early twenties or late teens at the most. He wore a black tank top with strange orange patterns on it and bright orange trousers. He had olive green eyes and slightly darker green hair which flicked up into a large spike at the front. Ash knew who that trainer was instantly. He was very famous after all, and a highly skilled pokemon trainer. He was Aaron, of the Sinnoh Elite Four!

As they watched Aaron angrily approaching the Rocket leader, Ash nudged Misty in the side.

'Misty, that man, he's one of Sinnoh's Elite Four, Aaron, an elite bug type pokemon trainer' Ash informed her, but Misty was barely paying any attention. She was violently shaking and quivering as she looked at Aaron's pokemon. It was a _massive_ spider! Bright red in colour, with a long grey horn and yellow and purple marking covering its legs, it was terrifying. She quickly shuffled and hid behind Ash when it looked at her.

'Shooting innocent children?! If you weren't going to be arrested before you'll have the book thrown at you now, you piece of…' the man raged angrily before he trailed of, remembering that there were children present.

'Ariados watch them… now then children, may I ask your names?' Aaron asked, his anger gone and with warmth in his eyes and voice as he addressed them.

'I'm Ash sir, and this is my friend Misty' Ash smiled at him.

'It's alright Misty, you don't have to be scared of them now' Aaron offered her kindly, mistaking her trembling for fearing of the Rockets. Misty didn't reply, she just kept staring fearfully at Ariados.

'Err… it's not the Rocket's she's afraid of. Misty isn't a fan of Bug Type pokemon' Ash said carefully.

'Oh I see, a little disappointing to someone like me, a Bug lover, but regardless, you shouldn't have faced off against the likes of Team Rocket children, they are dangerous criminals. They must be, if they are to use firearms and especially against innocent children. You'd do well to avoid them in the future' the elite trainer warned them.

'We were really lucky you were here sir, thank you for saving us' Misty finally spoke up, gratitude in her voice.

'It's luckier than you think Misty. I'm only here in Kanto for a few weeks to catch some new bug pokemon to spend my time training, and it's even luckier that my new Spinarak evolved into a powerful Ariados' Aaron commented.

'What about them though?' Ash nodded towards the Rockets Ariados was keeping a close eye on.

'Oh fear not, I shall have my bug pokemon fly them to the nearest police station' Aaron smiled as he brought out for more pokeballs. In a flash of white light, they all appeared. Ash recognised them all instantly on sight. He hadn't seen any of them in real life before, but two were Aaron's signature pokemon, and two were some he'd seen in text books. Vespiquen and Beautifly were well known to be used by the Bug Elite trainer. The other two were Dustox and Yanmega, pokemon from the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions respectively.

Ariados began spitting more and more silk out of his mouth until a large net had formed around the Rockets, and soon all the other bug pokemon were carrying them through the air. Aaron returned Ariados, since he couldn't fly, and released another pokemon, a pokemon that Ash knew to be one of Aaron's most favoured battlers, a Drapion. Aaron climbed onto Drapion's back and then turned back to the two young trainers.

'Remember what I said children, you'd do well to stay away from criminals like these, they will only bring you trouble and you could end up hurt or worse' he warned, and then without another word, Drapion was scuttling away, the flying squad carrying the criminals away.

'Well… that was… unexpected' Misty finally managed to say.

'Poli! Poliwag!' Poliwag's cry caught their attention, and looking down at the small blue pokemon, they saw him bouncing up and down by the cages.

'Oh yeah! We still need to release all the bug and water pokemon!' Ash remembered, and soon the two of them were unlocking the latches and locks on the cages. In a large swarm, all the bug pokemon flew off into the trees, and all the water pokemon flopped their way back into the river.

'Well, I guess that's everything sorted out, you've saved your friends Poliwag, you can go re-join them' Misty smiled down at the pokemon. After all, it didn't feel right catching him now, not after everything that had just happened.

Poliwag didn't jump into the river though, instead he hopped up and down in front of Misty, nuzzling against her leg.

'Poli! Poliwag! Wag! Poliwag!' (No! You saved us all! I want to go with you!) He squealed happily, bouncing up and down excitedly.

'Misty, I think that maybe Poliwag wants to go with you' Ash spoke up. At this Poliwag cheered and muzzled her leg again.

'Is that right Poliwag, you want to come with me?' Misty asked, kneeling down and patting Poliwag's head.

'Poli!' (Yay!)

'Well in that case, pokeball go!' Misty grinned, gently tapping an empty pokeball to Poliwag's head. In a flash of light, he was pulled inside, and the pokeball didn't even resist before the capture was made.

'That's awesome Misty, congratulations!' Ash grinned at his friend.

'Thanks Ash! I catch a new pokemon!' Misty cheered loudly, before she placed her newest pokefriend into her bag and grinned happily at the thought of having another member on her team.

'So, onto Pewter City?' Ash asked.

'Onto Pewter City' Misty confirmed, and nodding, the two of them carried on their way towards their destination, with yet another pokemon friend in tow.

…

'You are not going to believe what's happened now' Shaun said into his phone as he observed Ash and Misty walking away from a large tree's shadow.

'What is it?' his father asked.

'They've just stopped a bunch of Team Rocket grunts from capturing hundreds of bug and water pokemon' Shaun said in amazement.

'That's quite remarkable. It seems as though he truly does care about all pokemon' his father mused.

'Remarkable? They nearly got shot! But… they risked their lives to free the pokemon, so does that make him the chosen one, for sure?' Shaun wondered.

'Not definitely, but probably. It's far too early to be completely sure. How did it end?' his father wanted to know.

'Well, after leader pulled a gun on them, then suddenly Aaron of the Sinnoh Elite Four appeared and saved them' Shaun replied.

'That is most curious. I wonder why Aaron would leave Sinnoh at this precise time. A little coincidental don't you think?' his father asked him.

'I guess so. Or just really lucky. But it doesn't matter. Aaron had his pokemon take all the Rocket's away, so Ash and Misty will be safe from them. Oh yeah, and Misty befriended and captured a Poliwag' Shaun added.

'Hum… that may be useful. Remind me to research pokemon evolutionary stones sometime would you?' his father noted.

'But of course' Shaun nodded, before he hung up. He then set off following the two young trainers from a distance, all the whilst wondering what would happen next in their pokemon journey.

**...**

**And there's another one. Yay! Misty has a Poliwag! I love the fact that Misty got one in cannon because I ADORE Politoad : ) Not that I'm saying that this Poliwag will evolve that way, but I'm not saying he won't : )**

**Anyways, onto some thoughts on reviews (My thanks again for them all)...**

**Celestial Overlord -** Firstly I'm glad you like the story. I know it may be slow paced now, but for what I've got in mind, I really need to be to build up to it. I'm also glad you like the stalker backplot : ) As for having Ash catch a Rhyhorn, I'm still not sure that will be happening. I've also said that I think Brock may get one, but I can't totally see Ash getting one. We'll just have to see. As for the Tower of Terror, Ash will be catching a ghost pokemon there, but I won't say which one : ) It will be one of the two you said though : )

**Danny -** Thank you, I'm glad you like the story : ) And I really liked a lot of your suggestions, although some of them I'm afraid I just can't use, but I will explain why. Having Ash battle and catch the Aerodactyl, and Misty and Brock catching the Omantye and Kabuto won't happen because I've already set things up for them to get these pokemon in a different manner. I might consider having them battle and catch other fossil pokemon later on, but not here I'm afraid. I can see Ash catching a Pinsir though. In fact I like the idea a lot. A Pinsir will be appearing in the next chapter, but it will be a while before Ash catches one himself. But thanks for the suggestion ; ) 15 Tauros and 15 Miltank. I'm really not sure on. On the one hand, I love Miltank and can't believe I didn't think of that myself, but on the other I'm not sure about giving him 15 of each. I'm not even sure if I'll have Ash catch all his Tauros or just one in this and then other Safari Pokemon. We'll just have to see but there's a strong chance a Miltank will appear in this : ) Misdreavus and Murkrow. Again, brilliant pokemon, and another strong chance of appearing. The Pink Butterfree, I'm not sure. I've already made a set-up in which Butterfree will stay and not be with the Pink Butterfree. But I suppose I could have Ash catch her and have her be a jealous pokemon. We'll see (I say that way to much don't I). Ash catches the Magnemite in the power plant. Again, not sure. I never really like Magnemite much, plus Ash doesn't have Pikachu yet, and since Pikachu is going to be a revolving pokemon in this, I can't guaranty Pikachu will be there at the right time, so I really don't know. Both Misty and Ash catch a Slowpoke and make Ash's the 2000 movie Slowking. I could see Slowking volunteer to go with Ash as his pokemon, so I doubt he'll catch a Slowpoke before that. Maybe Misty will though ; ) Thank you so much for all your suggestions!

**Legionary Prime -** Thank you, I'm glad it's not boring : )

**Yana5 -** Thank you for your contniued support : )

**Deant33 -** I know, I was going to be a battle with Scyther in here, but that was ruin part of the next chapter. I promise though, the next chapter, Scyther will have his first battle in this : )

**Eliphas -** I'm afraid that Magikarp will not be learning Bounce in this. He will have his Tackle attack quite soon, but no, he won't be learning Bounce. Mainly because I've got no idea how anyone could teach a fish and bounce up into the air and then hit a target : )

**Kawaiijoltic -** Thank you for your contniued support, and yes, I think we will see the Bulbasaur and Charmander trainers at some point : )

**Eliphas -** Lots of people have suggested those pokemon, and I've allready said before that Ash will definitely catch a member of the Electabuzz family, and probably a Magby too. I can also say there's a strong chance an Abra will make an appear in this. I also like your idea about making Elekid and Magby rivals, so I could see that happening : )

**Dragonwolf12 -** I'm glad you like my story : ) In answer to your Quotation Marks question, the answer is that this is the style I am comfortable using. Before using Fanfaction it was a long time ago that I wrote anything in a story format, so I just went with what I feel most comfortable with : ) Now, as for your suggestions. Since all Cannon pokemon will appear in this, Gible is certain to appear, and in the list of pokemon set in the challenge, another dragon type will appear too : ) I've also got an idea about how Ash can get a Bagon whilst in Kanto, but I've still got some details to work out : ) No, I will not be incorporating Aura into this. Personally I think it is use far to much in fanfiction, so I won't be doing it as I want this story to be unique as possible : ) As for Pikachu, I think I may have caused Fanfiction Outrage with what I did to him. To avoid quite possibly being destroyed by my readers, I can say that Pikachu will be abandoned at once point, and than will be caught at another. It's a while off, but it is going to happen. And as for it being cruel punishment, Pikachu is certainly capable of giving his best in the attitude department : )

**RoyalTwinFangs -** Thanks for reviewing, and as I've said, there's a very high chance both Elekid and Abra will appear in this.

**I hope this answers all the questions I was asked, and if you guys have anymore suggestions or questions, I'll definitely consider them as they have been so helpful in giving me ideas and mapping out this story : ) Thank you all again, and as I treat, I'll give you guys a little spoiler, the name of the next chapter.**

**Rival Round Two**

**And who does that mean? Obvious isn't it ; ) See you next time : )**

'


	9. Rival Round Two

**Woohoo! At this chapter at last! So, like I said it's called Rival Round Two, and sees the return of a certain Pallet Town Rival of Ash's. And a particularly popular pokemon : ) So, just remember that Pokemon isn't mine, and I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

**...**

**Rival Round Two**

'Oh yes!' Misty couldn't help but cheer in delight at the sight before her. Beside her Ash was laughing happily too at what they saw just in front of them.

There, only a few metres away from the two young trainers, was a large wooden archway. And etched on a sign at the top of the arch were two words in big block letters; 'PEWTER CITY'

'We've finally made it!' Ash couldn't help but grin. Whilst he did love camping out in the wild, and he enjoyed the walking too, it was nice to get back to an urbanised area after spending so long out of contact with human life.

'The first thing I'm doing after getting my pokemon checked into the Pokémon Centre is too get a room and go get a bath' Misty smiled at the very idea. Ash nodded in agreement, after spending so long having to use the river to wash in, it would be amazing to get soak in a bath again.

'Well then what are we waiting for?' Ash grinned at her, approaching the archway to walk through it into the new city. But before he could pass through it, a new voice rang out and he groaned when he immediately recognised it.

'Well well well, if it isn't the Squirtle Thief, steal anybody else's pokemon from them before they had the chance to get them themselves?' a snide voice asked, and turning around, Ash nodded to himself, instantly recognising Gary Oak.

'Squirtle Thief? You _stole_ Squirtle?' Misty asked incredulously. After all, it was Ash! She couldn't imagine him stealing a pokemon, no matter the circumstances.

Ash let out a low sigh, before he turned to his red haired friend and explained.

'On the day I went to pick my starter pokemon, I got there earlier and chose Squirtle. What I didn't know at the time was that Gary wanted to pick Squirtle too. I picked Squirtle first, fair and square. I did not steal it. I can't believe you're still sour about this' Ash turned and glared at Gary.

'Well I am, do you realise just how far I am behind on my schedule, and all thanks to you' Gary spat at him.

'Just who are you anyway?' Misty demanded angrily. She didn't like the way this boy was talking to her friend or about the way he seemed to think he owned pokemon. Sure, he could catch them and train them… but he was talking a little bit too possessively for her liking.

'That's none of your business red, stay out of things which aren't your business' Gary snapped at her, and Misty glared at him.

'That Misty, is Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson, and the biggest pain in the neck in the whole of Pallet Town' Ash casually told her. At Ash's choice of words, Gary bristled in rage.

'Right, for that, we're going to have a battle' Gary shot at him.

'Oh not this again. I'm not going to battle you if you want to try and win Squirtle again' Ash sighed in annoyance. At this though, Gary smirked.

'Oh no Ash, not over Squirtle this time. I've got something better in mind as the prize' Gary told him smugly.

'And what's that?' Ash wanted to know. He had better things to do than take part in some ridiculous battle that Gary cooked up. But on the other hand, a battle would be good practice for his pokemon, not to mention if he won again, his trainer fund would go up.

'Well, we're both at the gate to Pewter City, and on the other side is the first gym. So, the winner of this battle gets to go first and get the lead on the other' Gary grinned, clearly enjoying the idea of overtaking and beating Ash to get the badge.

'Oh come on Ash, this is stupid' Misty protested. After all, they could do the gym battle anytime they wanted, so why should they fight over it with some rude kid.

'I told you red, stay out of other people's business. This is between Ash and me' Gary shot at her.

'Listen you, my name's Misty, I know it's two syllables which you probably aren't used to, but if you engaged your brain I think you might just be able to manage it' Misty told him, sarcasm dripping from every word. Ash couldn't help but snigger slightly.

'Whatever, cloudy… oh, so sorry, I meant Misty. So Ash, we on or are you too chicken?' Gary challenged. Ash sighed again. He knew that if he didn't battle, Gary would annoy him with that fact every time they met up again. Plus the battle could only help in the long run, so why not?

'Alright Gary, We'll battle. How does a full six on six elimination sound to you?' Ash suggested.

'Perfect! Nothing I love more than beating a full team into the pokemon centre's critical wing' Gary smirked. Misty glared even harder at him. The critical wing was NOT a laughing matter! Just how horrible was this jerk to his pokemon?!

'Fine, Misty can you referee?' Ash turned to his friend.

'Sure, if we really must do this' Misty shrugged, before leaning against the archway as both Ash and Gary backed away from each other until there was a large gap between them to be the battle field.

'OK trainers, this is a six-on-six elimination. You lose when all six pokemon are unable to battle, present your first pokemon' Misty ordered. Gary and Ash both reached into their pockets at the same time, and both let out a pokemon at once.

Ash's jaw dropped when he saw Gary's first pokemon.

'No way! Is that…' Ash trailed off.

'Yep, it's that one. Well come on, no pokemon blasts me across the sky and gets away with it! I went and found it again and caught it!' Gary said proudly, gesturing at the first wild pokemon he had managed to catch, the angry Spearow from Pallet Town.

He was glaring at Ash and his pokemon, which just so happened to be Pidgeotto. This would be a sky battle. Ash was remotely surprized by the fond way it was looking at Gary though. Clearly Spearow had forgiven him from the last time.

'I gotta say though Ash I'm surprized you have a Pidgeotto, you catch it like that or evolve it?' Gary suddenly asked, looking at Ash's own pokemon calculatingly.

'I caught him like this' Ash shrugged in response. Gary just nodded in response.

'Trainers, begin!' Misty shouted from the sidelines.

'Alright Spearow, just like we practiced, use Fury Attack' Gary commanded and Spearow shot towards Pidgeotto like a feathery bullet. The tiny bird pokemon than proceeded to peck every inch of Pidgeotto it could land a hit on. Pidgeotto let out a squawk of pain.

'Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!' Ash responded with, and Pidgeotto disappeared in a flash, only to reappear behind Spearow and with a great smash, Gary's pokemon was knocked flying through the air.

'Spearow, Aerial Ace' Gary cried and Spearow span around and shot like a blur towards Pidgeotto. Ash knew it was pointless to tell Pidgeotto to dodge. After all, Aerial Ace was an attack that never failed.

'Geotto!' (Ouch!)

'Row, row, Spearow!' (Ha, ha, Loser!)

Pidgeotto glared and growled as Spearow continued to crow with laughter. Oh how Pidgeotto want to shut that tiny bird up!

'Pidgeotto, let's try a combination, use Sand Attack followed by your strongest Gust' Ash came up with and Pidgeotto smirked as he swooped to the ground, flapping his wings to beat some dirt and soil up. He the used his Gust attack to blow the muck right up into Spearow's face, into his eyes and beak.

'Row!' (Yuck! Gross!) Spearow cried, spitting the dirt out of his mouth as he shook his head, trying to clear his eyes.

'Now finished it with Quick Attack' Ash carried on, and grinning widely, Pidgeotto charged and slammed another attack into the other flying type pokemon, knocking him out of the air and towards the ground.

Spearow hit the earth with a loud bump.

'Spearow… Row… Row… Spearow!' (I refuse… to lose… to you!) Spearow shrieked as he forced himself to his feet.

'That's it Spearow, don't let that canary get the better of you!' Gary cheered on his pokemon.

'Pidgeotto! One more Gust will finish it, so do your best! Ash rallied his pokemon spirit.

'Pidgeotto… Pidge… Otto!' (Feel the… power of… the wind!) Pidgeotto screamed as flew up high before he span faster and faster until a large vortex of swirling air formed around him. Spreading his wings wide, he let loose the vortex, causing it to crash into Spearow and suck him up into it.

When it died down, Spearow was sent crashing to the earth, too weak to continue.

'Spear… Row… Spearow' (This… is… not over!) he managed to spit at Pidgeotto with a hate filled look before he passed out. Ash smiled ever so slightly at the smug look with appeared on Pidgeotto's face. It appeared as though there might just be a little bit of rivalry developing between the two bird pokemon.

'Spearow no! What kind of Gust was that anyway?!' Gary demanded angrily as he returned his fallen pokemon.

'That wasn't Gust, that was Whirlwind! Awesome Pidgeotto, you learnt a new attack!' Ash petted his pokemon as Pidgeotto landed gracefully on his soldier.

'Pidgeotto, Pidge, Otto, Otto!' (Yeah! I was pretty amazing wasn't I?!) Pidgeotto boasted cheerfully.

'You were great, now why don't you go over to the sidelines with Misty and watch the rest of the battle?' Ash suggest, and with a happy trill and a nod, Pidgeotto fluttered over and landed on the ground near their referee to observe his comrades battle for their trainer.

'Round one goes to Ash, trainers present your next pokemon' Misty cried from her position by the arch. Secretly she really hoped Ash would win so that that jerk might learn a lesson or two, but of course she'd follow the rules fairly and not to her friend's advantage.

'Grrr… you may have beat Spearow, but you won't beat my next pokemon. Come on out… Pinsir!' Gary cried, throwing another pokeball forward to release his new pokemon. Ash's eyes widened as the pokemon appeared before him. He'd heard of them and had even managed to see one once, but this pokemon was quite rare, so he was a little surprized that Gary had managed to find and catch one.

Pinsir had an oval shaped body and light brown skin. Its arms and legs with thin in comparison, and had two large steely grey coloured horns with sharp spikes covering it. It bared its teeth at Ash, his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

'Oh great' Misty muttered from the side, grimacing slightly. She _really_ didn't like bugs!

Ash frowned thoughtfully for a moment. Squirtle and Magikarp were no good for this, and Pidgeotto needed time to recover some energy from his battle with Spearow, and Metapod and Weedle wouldn't stand a chance against that thing. That left only one choice.

'Ok, Scyther, come on out' he called, letting out the large green pokemon.

'Ok Scyther, I know that you're still recovering from your attack, but just do your best' Ash encouraged his pokemon.

'Scyther, Scy, Ther' (You're going down)

'Pinsir, Sir, Sir, Pinsir' (Can it weakling)

Scyther and Pinsir both glared angrily at each other. Ash couldn't help but feel pride at the way his pokemon felt such rivalry against Gary's pokemon.

'Pinsir, use Faint Attack' Gary started things off with. Pinsir's horns were suddenly shrouded in a weird black light before he charged at Scyther, trying to stab him with his horns.

'Scyther, counter with Night Slash!' Ash ordered, having an idea in mind. Scyther's mantises glowed with an eerie shadow as dark as night, before he slashed at Pinsir. The two darkness attacks met and mixed, before exploding around Pinsir, the epicentre of the collision.

'Grrr… that was clever, absorbing Pinsir's attack into your own. But Pinsir's much stronger than that, use Revenge!' Gary ordered and Pinsir's eyes turned a scarlet colour as he clawed at Scyther's chest, inflicting twice as much damage as he had taken.

'Scyther' (Argh! It stings!) Scyther cried out in pain.

'Scyther, use Vacuum Wave followed by Razor Wind!' Ash cried. He was loving this! There were so many combinations to try out, and Scyther had enough different moves to be able to pull loads of them off!

Scyther sent a massive wave of crescent shaped blades towards Pinsir, and then he beat his wings so fast they became a faint blur. Sharp swirling razors became to form around them, and shot into the waved of blades the Vacuum Wave had already formed. Like a sharp tornado, they all slashed and cut at Pinsir's body, making him stagger to one knee in pain.

'Pin… sir, Pinsir' (You'll… pay… for that) Pinsir grunted enraged.

'Scyther… Scy… ther' (Bring it … small fries) Scyther taunted.

'Pinsir, uses your Vice Grip!' Gary yelled, and before Scyther could move, Pinsir's horns clamped around his body, hoisting him into the air and holding him over Pinsir's head. Scyther squirmed but couldn't break free.

'Finish it with Seismic Toss!' Gary carried on with, and Pinsir literally hurled Scyther around and around until letting go, sending Scyther flying face first into a tree.

'Scyther!' Ash called in alarm as Scyther crumbled to the ground.

'Scy… ther… ther' (Must… get… up) he panted as the green pokemon forced himself back to his feet.

'So it still wants to fight, ok, Pinsir, Bug Bite!' Gary called, and Pinsir opened his jaw revealing many sharp fangs, easily capable of tearing Scyther apart.

'Scyther, Counter!' Ash ordered, and just as Pinsir drew close, Scyther put up a shield that protected him, before Pinsir's power was turned on itself, and he grimaced in pain.

'Now Scyther, use Quick Attack!' Ash cried, and Scyther shot forwards.

'Faint Attack!' Gary ordered, and Pinsir lunged. Both attacks hit head on, and both pokemon were flung to the ground. For a moment, both struggled to get up, but then they both fell flat on the ground, too weak to stand.

'And it's a double knock-out!' Misty called.

'Thank you Scyther, that was an awesome battle' Ash smiled as he gently patted Scyther's head, helping him pokemon to his feet and leading him over to where Pidgeotto and Misty were. He gently lowered Scyther to the ground again so that he was resting against a tree, but could still watch the battle with Pidgeotto.

'Well, I guess you were good too Pinsir' Gary casually commented, but didn't put much feeling of pride into his words as he returned his pokemon.

'Pidgeotto, Pidge' (That was so cool mate)

'Scyther, Scy, Ther' (Thank you Pidgeotto)

Ash quickly went back to his spot as Gary was already calling out his third pokemon, and Ash drew out another pokeball.

'Go Kakuna' Gary cried, letting out a pokemon Ash immediately knew. It was the pokemon he'd faced the other day with Simon after all.

'Go Metapod!' Ash shouted, letting out his own cocooned pokemon.

The two pokemon vacantly looked around, not much emotion on their faces. Maybe all cocoon pokemon were that way, expressionless.

'Kakuna, we're falling behind, so use Bug Bite and finish this quickly' Gary ordered and Kakuna lunged as its skin split to reveal his mouth.

Metapod, harden!' Ash cried and Metapod skin suddenly became harder than steel. Kakuna bit him, and grimaced in pain as he struck the hardened surface.

'Now use Tackle!' Ash ordered and Metapod flung himself at Kakuna, knocking him backwards.

'Kakuna, try using Poison Sting' Gary ordered.

'String Shot' Ash shouted, and as Kakuna tried to hit Metapod with a toxic needle, he fired bits of string to knock them down.

'Nice shooting Metapod, now use String Shot to pull Kakuna in close!' Ash ordered, and Metapod spat silk at Kakuna, sticking it too him and pulled back to drag the yellow pokemon in close to him.

'You're lucks run out Ash, Iron Defense!' Gary called, and Kakuna flashed a silver colour as its defensive levels rockets. When Kakuna hit Metapod, instead of causing the yellow pokemon pain, it knocked Metapod flying towards a tree.

'Metapod!' Ash cried in shock as Metapod hit it with a clang. Metapod slowly sank to the ground, shivering slightly in pain.

'Are you ok?' Ash asked as he made to run over to check on his pokemon. Suddenly Metapod began to glow white.

'What the… he'd evolving again!' Ash realised as he sprinted over and beamed with pride. He watched as the skin forming the cocoon split, and from out of it rose a larger, much more graceful and powerful creature.

It was a large purple butterfly with large red eyes and long black antenna. It had large white wins with thin black lines forming intricate patterns over them, and its short hands and feet were a pale blue colour.

Ash quickly pointed his pokedex at the new, fully evolved pokemon.

'Information: -

Species – Butterfree

Nickname – None registered

Gender – Male

Level – 12

Learnt Move-Set – Tackle, String Shot, Confusion, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Poison Powder

Registered Information - It loves the honey of flowers and can locate flower patches that have even tiny amounts of pollen.

'Awesome, nice to meet you Butterfree!' Ash grinned as Butterfree hovered in front of him.

'Free! Butterfree! Free!' (Nice to meet you too Ash!)

'Oh that is so unfair, I nearly had that thing beat' Gary complained loudly, breaking the moment.

'Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about the battle! Ok, Butterfree use Sleep Powder!' Ash ordered and Butterfree stooped low over Kakuna, spraying a fine green powder all over him. Kakuna instantly toppled over, its eyes closed tight, fast asleep.

'No! Kakuna wake up!' Gary tried but it was no use.

'Use your Confusion!' Ash carried on. Butterfree glowed with a strange blue and purple aura, before Kakuna was lifted from the ground and held up in the air. Directing the imprisoned asleep bug with his hands, Butterfree used his mind to blast him into a tree, with much more force than when he, as Metapod, had been flung in a similar fashion.

Kakuna crashed into the trunk and hit the ground with a thud. Its eyes opened, before they closed again, and Kakuna had passed out.

'Damn it! Damn it, return!' Gary growled in anger. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! He had only one draw so far and Ash had two wins! He took a deep breath. He still had three more battles to turn this around, and so he quickly drew out another pokeball.

'Go on Butterfree, go watch with the others' Ash smiled at his newly evolved butterfly pokemon. who nodded and floated over to the others, landing on Scyther shoulder and sitting there.

'Scyther, Scy, ther' (Congratulations on your evolution young one)

'Pidgeotto, Pidgeotto, Pidge' (It's hard to believe you're the same Caterpie I tried to eat)

'Free, Butterfree, Butterfree, Free' (Well don't try it again, I can hold my own now)

'Pidgeotto, Otto, Pidgeotto' (Relax bro, we're cool, no more trying to munch on you)

'Right, time to see what you can do, go Magikarp!' Ash cried, letting out the red pokemon who began flopping about.

Gary burst into laughter at the sight.

'Really Ash? A Magikarp?! You must be running out of pokemon!' Gary howled with laughter.

'Hey! You leave Magikarp alone!' Ash snapped at him. Gary, still sniggering, let out his own pokemon, a small purple rodent pokemon going by the name of Rattata.

'Rattata, this one will be a piece of cake, Hyper Fang!' Gary grinned and Rattata sprang forwards, its buck teeth growing and glowing white as it charged towards Magikarp. It bit down hard on Magikarp's scales, and despite the obvious pain Rattata was in from their sturdy nature, Magikarp still cried out in pain as he took a lot of damage.

'Magikarp, it's time, try your Tackle!' Ash shouted encouragingly. Magikarp managed to hop up and land on his fin, and stood strong as he tried to fling himself towards Rattata. He only moved a few inches though and hit the ground with a loud thud. It seemed as though the move hadn't quite been perfected yet, despite the constant training Ash was doing with his pokemon.

'Rattata, Quick Attack!' Gary cheered; this one was definitely going to be his victory. Rattata hit Magikarp head on, reducing his health even more.

'Magikarp come on, I know you can do it, Tackle!' Ash tried again, and Magikarp repeated his earlier attempt. Whilst he managed to throw himself further than last time with a little more power behind it, it still failed to reach their opponent.

'Rattata, once more, Hyper Fang!' Gary called.

'Magikarp, I believe in you, Tackle!' Ash countered, and with determination in his eyes, Magikarp picked himself up for one last attempt. And to general astonishment, he managed to pick himself up onto his fin again, and this time, he flung himself with everything he had. He slammed into Rattata head on.

'Rattata!' (Ow! That hurt!) The rodent squeaked. But it wasn't enough to stop Rattata, and within seconds, he had shook off the pain and sank his fangs into Magikarp's body.

'Karp!' (Ouch!) Magikarp whimpered, before it proved too much for the weak fish pokemon, and he fell over, and this time, he didn't get back up.

'Alright Rattata you beat him!' Gary cheered happily.

'Ratta, Tatta!' (I did it! I did it!)

Ash slowly approached his own pokemon who looked a little down in the dumps over his defeat.

'Magikarp, I know that you didn't win, but you should be so proud of yourself. You've learnt how to use Tackle, and I couldn't be prouder of you' Ash said gently as he picked up his red pokemon and carried it over to the other pokemon.

'Free, Butterfree, Free' (Well done Magikarp! You mastered your Tackle)

'Scyther, Ther, Scyther' (You're hard work paid off)

'Pidgeotto, Otto, Otto' (Yeah, you did alright kid)

'Karp, Karp, Karp' (Err… Thanks guys… Err)

Magikarp looked a little more cheerful as Ash walked back over to his position.

'Right, so it's two wins to Ash, one win to Gary, and a draw each. Trainers, call out your next pokemon' Misty ordered and Ash set to do just that.

'Weedle, come on out!' Ash cried, letting Weedle out of her pokeball.

'Weedle' (I'm ready Ash)

'I'm sticking with Rattata' Gary said. Whilst he was talking, Weedle was looking around intently. Her eyes had caught sight of Butterfree, and she couldn't help but stare at him. He was gorgeous! That purple colour, so pretty but manly at the same time! And those red eyes, they were like pools of beautiful sticky jam. And those wings, so graceful, so powerful, he was spectacular!

When Butterfree looked over at her and waved at her, Weedle let out a giggle and blushed heavily before smiling at him and turning to face her opponent.

'Rattata go! Hyper Fang!' Gary cheered. After his victory against Magikarp it seemed as though his luck was turning and now he wanted his pokemon to squash that bug!

But Weedle had no intention of being squashed. Butterfree was watching her, and she had no intention of embarrassing herself in front of the gorgeous new addition to the team. With determination in her heart, she faced her opponent head on.

'Weedle, dodge and use Poison sting' Ash ordered. Weedle waited patiently until Rattata was close, before gracefully moving out of the way to the side. Before Rattata could gather what had happened, Weedle produced a toxic needle from her mouth and stabbed it into Rattata's side, leaving a poisonous wound and gaining a squeal of pain.

Rattata flashed purple, a sure sign that Weedle's poison was taking effect.

'Nice one Weedle, now keep using Poison Sting!' Ash cried, and Weedle began firing toxic needles in waves at the rodent pokemon.

'Use Quick Attack to dodge them!' Gary yelled, and in a blur Rattata dashed away, out of Weedle's firing line. He flashed purple again as he shivered as more poison flooded his system. Ash grinned when he saw this. A few more moments and this would be over.

'Weedle, you're looking great, keep it up' he encouraged his pokemon.

'Free! Free! Butterfree! Free!' (You're doing fantastic Weedle, you go girl! You're kicking butt)

Weedle blushed but smiled widely at Butterfree's praise. God what was he doing to her?! She felt so… mushy around him… but it was nice mushy.

'Rattata, try and hit her with Hyper Fang' Gary said, sounding a little worried now. Rattata darted forwards and tried to sink his fangs into Weedle's body, but she just jabbed him with her horn, knocking him painfully away. He flashed purple again as his body was flooded with poison again, before his insides could take no more, and he fell unconscious on the ground.

'Alright Weedle you did it!' Ash cheered.

'Weedle!' (Yay! I did it!)

'Rattata return… at least you got that Magikarp out' Gary sighed, returning yet another defeated pokemon. Ash was doing better than he had thought. Maybe he wasn't quite as useless as he had first thought. Although, he could do better… but right now, so could he.

'Right, my second to last pokemon, don't fail me now. Go, Nidoran' Gary shouted, letting out another pokemon.

This one was pale blue in colour and had pointed ears. It had darker spots on its back, and had short whiskers. It had bucked teeth and red eyes. It was adorable, but it also had some kind of dangerous quality to its appearance. If Ash could remember his pokemon correctly, this was the female form of Nidoran.

Ash gritted his teeth slightly. Weedle wouldn't be able to work this time. Nidoran were poison type pokemon, so her Poison Sting attacks would be ineffective against her.

'Weedle, take a break, Butterfree, you take over' Ash called.

'Clever Ash, I take it that's because the only move to inflict damage Weedle knows is Poison Sting, which won't work on Nidoran' Gary said smugly and Ash nodded mutely.

'Weedle, Weed, Weedle' (Hi… err… you look different)

'Free, Butterfree, Free' (Good or bad different?)

'Weedle, Weedle, Weed, Weedle' (Oh its good different, nice different, definitely nice)

'Free, Butterfree, Butterfree' (Thank you Weedle… erm, that's kind of you to say)

Once Weedle had settled down to watch the battle and Butterfree had taken his spot, the fight got underway.

'Nidoran, Poison Sting' Gary ordered, and the blue pokemon fired a poisonous needle into the air.

'Butterfree, use Confusion to stop it and turn it around' Ash ordered with a grin. Good he loved this new move already!

Butterfree effortlessly halted the needle in its tracks and changed its direction, and moments later there was a squeak of pain as the needle stuck in Nidoran's body.

'Nidoran, Ran, Ran, Nido, Nidoran' (Oi, that hurt, you'll pay for that)

'Butterfree, now use Stun Spore' Ash carried on with, and Butterfree was soon scattering yellow powder over Nidoran. As soon as it made contact with her skin, she was frozen in place, completely paralysed.

'Nidoran, quick break away!' Gary cried in dismay. He knew what was coming next.

'Butterfree, confusion!' Ash ordered, and soon Nidoran was drifting through the air. Oh she was trying, she was trying so hard to break free, but it was impossible. She was helpless as she was flung through the air and slam-dunked into a tree with a loud thud. By the time she hit the ground, she was out cold.

'You did it Butterfree!' Ash cheered as his new powerhouse pulled off another victory.

'Weedle, Weedle, Weed, Weedle!' (You are so awesome Butterfree, you're the best)

Butterfree smiled slightly as he saw Weedle cheering him on. That little bug was so cute in her own way, adorable even. He felt his stomach twitch slightly just looking at her, and he vaguely wondered what that was before he shook it off.

'Right, it all comes down to you, you'd better listen to me' Gary growled to a pokeball that he had in his hand. In a bright flash of light came a pokemon Ash could remember very clearly, one with a major attitude problem, it was Pikachu.

And said Pikachu was looking furious. He was glaring at Gary with such hatred Ash was amazed Gary wasn't trembling with fear. He sparked at the cheeks as Gary glared right back at him.

'Right you little whelp, I've had just about enough of your attitude, you listen to me this time or you'll be spending a month inside your pokeball without coming out, got it' Gary growled at Pikachu. Ash was about to comment on that, saying that was a horrible punishment, but Pikachu was already growling at his trainer.

'Pikachu, Pika, Chu, Pikachu!' (I'll shock you all the way to the moon pathetic human)

'Errr… are you ready to go trainers?' Misty called, watching the exchange between Gary and Pikachu in confusion and wonder.

'No yet. Butterfree, sit this one out. I think it's only fair that Squirtle gets a match too' Ash said, and nodding, Butterfree fluttered over to the others as Ash called out Squirtle. He noticed the way Butterfree sat next to Weedle, and the shy but delighted looks she kept giving the purple pokemon.

'Squirtle, Squirt, Squirt, Squirtle' (Why am I the last one out… oh no, you again) Squirtle said as he caught sight of Pikachu. The yellow pokemon turned away from his trainer, before narrowing his eyes on Squirtle.

'Pikachu, Pika, Chu, Pikachu, Pikachu' (Oh great, the servant. I would ask have you've been but I really don't care. You chose to serve a human, that makes you a slave)

'Squirtle, Squirt, Squirt, Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirt, Squirt, Squirtle (I'm Ash's friend not his slave but I'm not going to convince you of that. Your opinion means nothing to me. You're just a stubborn child that can't get over the fact he was captured)

'Pikachu, Pika, Pika, Pikachu, Pikachu, Pika, Pikachu, Pikachu, Pika, Pikachu' (You take that back or I'll shock you into next week slave) Pikachu threatened.

'Squirtle, Squirt, Squirtle, Squirt' (You know something, I don't think I will) Squirtle taunted.

Squirtle and Pikachu were right in each other's faces now, glaring each other down, growling angrily and threateningly. Ash, Misty and even Gary were showing interest in the display or aggression towards each other.

'Wow… they really seem to hate each other' Misty noted.

'I guess they remember each other from the lab' Gary commented.

'Either that or Squirtle doesn't like your Pikachu's attitude' Ash suggested.

'Yeah well, I don't either, so it had better drop it soon or else' Gary huffed, before leaping into action.

'Pikachu, use Thunder Punch' Gary ordered, before growling angrily when Pikachu just laid down and let out a yawn.

'He's still refusing to listen? Well then, Squirtle, Bubble' Ash ordered, and Squirtle sent a wave of exploding bubbles towards the angry electric pokemon. Pikachu groaned in pain as he was knocked back by the force of Squirtle's attack.

It really seemed as though Pikachu brought out the inner fighter in Squirtle, so why bother to hold back?

'Muddy Water!' Ash ordered, and soon Pikachu was hit with a jet of brown water.

'Pikachu! Pika! (That's did it! Now you'll pay!) Pikachu practically hissed in rage.

He charged at Squirtle and grabbed hold of his head, before unleashing a Thundershock attack, sending it coursing through Squirtle's body, making the water pokemon scream in pain.

Squirtle responded by Tackling Pikachu away, before he slammed into him, using his Bubble and Muddy Water attacks furiously. Neither pokemon was listening to their trainers now.

'Squirtle, stop!' Ash yelled. Squirtle ignored him though, sending more and more attacks after Pikachu, who was using his Thunder Punch to stop them. Squirtle then got up close and Tackled Pikachu to the ground, before using his muddy Water at point blank range.

'Pika!' (Argh!)

When the Muddy Water ended, they could see that Pikachu was out cold.

'Errr… well, even though neither trainer commanded it, I guess Squirtle won. All of Gary Oak's pokemon are unable to battle, the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum' Misty cheered. All of Ash's pokemon cheered in delight, so happy that they had all pulled together to do this for him.

'Alright! You guys are the best!' Ash said, running up to his pokemon and pulling them all into a group.

'Grrr… Pikachu, return now. get used to it in there, you'll be in there for a long time' Gary growled angrily as he returned Pikachu and began to walk away, not in the direction of the archway to Pewter City but back into the forest.

'Hey, where are you going?' Misty called over to him.

'Again, it's none of your business red, but I'll humour you just this once. If these weaklings are still losing to Ash than I need to toughen them all up. I'm going back into Viridian Forest to make them stronger' Gary huffed in annoyance, and before another word could be said, the bullying boy was gone.

'Well… he's a real jerk, but at least you beat him Ash' Misty turned and smiled at Ash.

'It wasn't me Misty, these guys deserve all the credit' Ash turned to his pokemon who all smiled at him.

'And hey, at least now we can finally carry onto Pewter City' Misty said brightly, and nodding, Ash returned all six of his pokemon and returned them to his belt. Then, with a wide smile on his face and pride in his heart for all of them, he and Misty walked through the archway, Pewter City almost in sight.

…

'Hey dad, it's me. Ash has just had a full six on six elimination battle, man you should've seen it, he was awesome' Shaun said enthusiastically into his phone.

'Is there a point to this call or is it just to remind me how much you enjoy watching pokemon battles?' his father chuckled.

'Well, his Metapod evolved into Butterfree and already it's a massive powerhouse in Ash's team. I told you when Ash caught that Caterpie it would be useful for Ash to have' Shaun said smugly.

'I remember, and you were right. Anything else to report?' his father asked him.

'Nothing much, just that all his pokemon are looking stronger, they're heading into the city as we speak' Shaun replied.

'Good, the plan is all set for when they arrive. Now we just need a way to get them here…' his father mused before he cut the connection. Shaun sighed. This plan, albeit not as bad as the last one, was still awful, but it could only help the trainers, and everything else, in the long run.

**...**

**And that's another one! So, that's the last chapter before we reach Pewter City, so glad to take the setting out of the woods at last, even if just for a little bit : ) I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter, or any chapter in fact, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**

**Oh, and one last thing, anyone that's a Doctor Who, Torchwood, or NCIS fan, I've started some new stories so if you're interested, please go check them out : )**


	10. The Pewter City Tournament

**Hello! So here we are, out of the woods and back in a city, which is nice. It's fun writing a different setting again : ) So, word of warning, this chapter is so... so very, very, extremely very, long! Lots of battles, lots of pokemon, lots of minor characters, so I hope you're up for a long read. I was going to split it into two, but I really wanted the entire thing to be one chapter : ) Please remember that I don't own pokemon, and I hope you enjoy this chapter**

**...**

**The Pewter City Tournament**

As they slowly approached their destination, Ash and Misty came to a ledge, giving them a spectacular view of Pewter City. It was much bigger than Viridian City and less quaint. It had a harder, 'big-city' feel to it. Office blocks, large towers of flats, and large houses dominated the landscape, and there were less gardens and greenery than in the previous city. But it was awe inspiring none the less.

'I can't believe we're finally here. Ten days in the forest walking here and there it is, brilliant!' Misty cheered, spreading her arms wide and laughing happily. Beside her Ash beamed, and with a quick glance at each other, the two of them set off running the final track to the city.

They slowed as they reached the edge of the buildings, stepping onto the concrete pavements and taking in the sights, smells and sounds of urban life again. It was so noisy compared to the quiet forest, the contrast was a little overwhelming. Cars and Lorries were blaring by, motoring down long roads and motorways. Everywhere something was happening, whether it by business men and woman rushing about, or children playing in the streets, or even pokemon wandering around the city.

'Pewter City, so busy, so vibrate, so brilliant' Ash laughed as they looked around.

'So, first things first, the pokemon centre right?' Misty asked.

'Definitely. Let's go get our pokemon healed and book some rooms. Then we can relax and maybe later we can go exploring' Ash suggested, and with a nod from Misty, they set off to do just that.

…

Once they had finally located the pokemon centre, which just so happened to look identical to the one in Viridian City, they went inside and were met with a rather shocking discovering.

It turned out that the nurse there was identical in looks, voice, and even personality to the Nurse they had met in Viridian City. Not only that but she was also called 'Nurse Joy'. Laughing at their stunned faces, she explained that every Joy throughout every region was identical and had the same name. She also admitted that they were all related, and that the Nurse Joy in Viridian City was her younger sister.

After she had healed all their pokemon back to full health, she had booked them both into new rooms and they had gone up to check them out. Again, everything was identical to their rooms back in Viridian City, and the two trainers made quick work of the features presented to them.

They both took long soaking baths which drained their stress away, and neither of them could wait to sleep in a real bed again that night. But since it was only the morning, they had a while to go yet.

Ash had gone downstairs and had called his mother to tell her that he had arrived in Pewter City, and had just hung up when Misty came down the stairs. They had agreed to go exploring, and neither of them could wait.

They had only been walking for a few minutes when they had both literally started drooling when the smell of fresh pizza hit their noses, and realising just how hungry they both were, they had quickly entered the pizza-place and ordered a large cheese and tomato pizza between them. It was only after their fourth slice each did something catch Ash's attention.

'Hey, look at this' he said through a mouthful of warm and delicious pizza. He was holding up a flyer that had been left on their table. It was bright orange and had the picture of a pokeball on it, and in big block letters on it were the words 'PEWTER CITY POKÉMON TOURNAMENT'

Misty looked at the cover curiously before Ash turned the flyer over to read some more information about this tournament.

'All pokemon trainers welcome. A tournament where trainers battle their way to a wonderful prize. Trainers of all status welcome. Takes place at 1:30pm… and its today!' Ash summarized for Misty.

'Whoa, a wonderful prize, I wonder what it could be' Misty mused aloud.

'It could be anything, some kind of useful item for trainers… or a new type of pokeball… heck it could even be a pokemon!' Ash grinned at her.

'And what timing too, I mean, it's today' Misty said brightly.

'How about it, fancy entering?' Ash suggested.

'Oh yes! This prize definitely sounds like it's something worth winning' Misty grinned and laughing, Ash leapt to his feet, threw a tip down on the table for the chef, and soon the two trainers were off out of the shop and on their way.

It turned out that the tournament was quite popular, and signs had been placed all over the city. In the end they led to a large glass tower-block with a smooth and tiled reception, with was packed full of people of all ages. And all of them were pokemon trainers.

'Whoa, look at all the trainers! There must be dozens of them!' Misty said in amazement. All over people were arguing about the queues. Ash and Misty hastily got in line and had to wait for nearly forty-five minutes before they reached the desk.

'Hello. Can I take your names please and ask you to present your trainer card or pokedex' the woman at the desk said, brushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and picking up her pen.

'I'm Ash Ketchum' Ash said, holding out his pokedex.

'And I'm Misty Waterflower' Misty added, presenting the woman her trainer card. The woman took them and scanned them both into her computer.

'Ok, that's you both entered into the tournament. Ash, your number is 54, and Misty, yours in 48. Good Luck to the pair of you' the woman smiled, handing back their pokedex and trainer card. They both thanked her and then quickly rushed through a set of glass doors towards a large indoor arena. Rows and rows of seat surrounded a circular battle field. Ash and Misty quickly went and got in the trainer's area, waiting anxious for the time to hit 1:30.

'I wonder what types of pokemon we're going to see' Misty said thoughtfully, looking around at all the excitement happening around them.

'All kinds. I can't believe we arrived just in time for this! It's fantastic! I've always wanted to take part in a pokemon tournament, even if this is only a minor city one' Ash said, grinning ear to ear. Misty was about to reply, when a loud voice boomed from above.

'Attention all contestants, attention all contestants. The Pewter City Pokémon Tournament will begin momentarily. Please turn you attention to the screens above you' a woman's voice came from the overhead speaker system. All the trainers in the room looked up as large screens hanging from the ceiling turned on. On it were photographs of all the trainers taking part in the event.

They flipped over and drew a line to another photo before revealing the faces again. This was the random selector which picked the trainer's opponents.

'Oh, this is so exciting. Oh look, there I am' Misty said excitedly as she spotted her own picture in all the others. Doing a quick count, she noted that there were sixty-four trainers on the screen. If either of them wanted to win, they had to be better than sixty-two other trainers. She hoped they were tough enough.

She quickly registered her opponents face. It was a boy of about twelve, with bristly dirty blonde hair, wide light green eyes, and a tightly drawn mouth. His name was John, and he would be her first opponent.

Ash had also scanned the screen and found his own picture, along with that of his own first battle. He was to face a girl called Mary. Her picture revealed that she had straightened light brown hair, light green cat like eyes, a crooked nose and pale skin.

'The trainer linked to your own picture will be your first opponent. We wish you all the best of luck, and please can all trainers waiting to battle go take their seats. Calling our first battlers to the stage' the woman overhead called.

'Awesome. So we have our opponents, now all we have to do is watch the other battles until it's our turn' Misty said brightly, and nodding, Ash and she quickly left the room to go get some good seats. Then all they had to do was enjoy the show.

…

Ash and Misty cheered and clapped loudly with the rest of the crowd. Of course not everyone who was watching was taking part in the tournament, but even for those who were it was fun to just watch. They clapped as another battle ended, knocking one of the trainers out of the tournament, and ensuring the winner got through to the next round.

'Congratulations Chloe, but well done Maisy. That was a terrific battle. Our next battle with be between Mary Whittle and Ash Ketchum, could both trainers please make their way to the stands' the announcer requested.

'You're up Ash, good luck!' Misty called to him as he stood up and hurried down the row of seats to the stairs. A few minutes later, he was standing behind a doorway which led out to the arena. As it opened Ash trembled slightly. It was quite daunting, battling with so many people watching. No, he just had to keep his cool and he'd do just fine.

He stepped out into the arena, whilst at the other end; Mary Whittle stepped out onto the field as well.

'Trainers, present your pokemon!' the announcer ordered. A large screen flashed to life. It was to show everyone who was winning and what pokemon each trainer was using. And in the top corner was a number three. That meant it would be a three on three battle. It was randomly selected how many pokemon you could use, and Ash was glad that his first match wasn't to be a full six on six. Since it wasn't an elimination match, it meant he only had to win two battles to win the round.

'Let's start things hot, go Numel!' Mary cried, letting out her first pokemon. Ash couldn't help but look curiously at her choice. Of course his father had had he study as many pokemon as possible, and that included the pokemon from other regions, but it was still a treat to see pokemon from so far away presented in front of you.

Numel was a cute bulky pokemon, mustardy yellow in colour with a small hole in his back. Around it were small green speckled patterning, and it wore a slightly tired dopey expression on its face. If Ash could remember correctly, it was a fire and ground type pokemon from the Hoenn Region. And since it was both fire and ground types, Ash already knew which pokemon to use.

'Go Squirtle!' he cried, letting out the blue turtle pokemon.

'Trainers, begin!' the announcer called.

'Numel, that's a water type so keep you guard up, use Magnitude!' Mary called. Numel let out a small battle roar before slamming his feet into the floor, causing the entire arena to shake.

'And Numel starts off with a wobbling Magnitude, it sure looks like its throwing Squirtle off balance' the announcer commented. And to Ash's dismay, they were right.

'Squirtle, Squirt, Squirtle' (Whoa… argh… ah) Squirtle cried as he wobbled on the spot.

'Squirtle, use Bubble to stop Numel!' Ash cried, and Squirtle managed to aim despite all the shaking and hit Numel in the face, earning a cry of pain as the bubbles exploded.

'Follow up with Rapid Spin!' Ash grinned. It had taken quite a bit of practicing out in the woods, with Misty's Staryu and Starmie helping out a lot, but Squirtle had managed to master that particular move, and moments later Numel cried out again as Squirtle span into his side.

'Numel, Ember!' Mary shouted. Numel began spitting scorching hot orange embers from his mouth, which caused Squirtle to wince when they hit his skin.

'Stop him with Muddy Water!' Ash ordered, and Squirtle sprayed Numel with a jet of brown water. Numel whimpered slightly as Squirtle's attack dealt him more damage.

'Numel, we need to take that Squirtle out now, use your Tackle!' Mary yelled, and Numel let out a roar as he charged full speed at the water pokemon.

'Squirtle, use Rapid Spin to get on Numel's back!' Ash suddenly had an idea. Squirtle withdrew into his shell and hurtled towards the advancing pokemon. He managed hit Numel head out and he bounced off through the air. Gracefully Squirtle landed on Numel's back, who turned to look at him in confusion.

'Now! Bubble!' Ash yelled and Squirtle let loose a point blank range Bubble attack, hitting Numel up close and in the face. He yelled in pain and toppled over, and Squirtle had to jump to avoid being crushed beneath him. When his head hit the floor, Numel had been defeated.

'And this round goes to Squirtle. Trainers, call out your next pokemon' the announcer ordered whilst the crowd cheered for Ash and Squirtle.

'Excellent job Squirtle, thank you. Return for now buddy' Ash said, returning his pokemon to his pokeball.

'Thank you Numel, you fought hard and I can't ask for any more' Mary said softly, returning her pokemon also. She didn't even miss a beat and instantly she was pulling out the next pokeball.

'Go, Electrike!' she cried, letting out an adorable electric type pokemon. It had four legs and yellow and green fur. It had a sort of plate shaped head, and a dog-like face and a three pointed tail. It was so cute, just like a little puppy pokemon. It was another pokemon from the Hoenn Region, which indicated to Ash that all her pokemon would be from that land too.

'Go, Magikarp!' Ash decided to take a risk with. That Electrike didn't look very old, so it was unlikely to have too many electric type moves. And even if Magikarp lost, he still needed to get some more battle experience if he was to ever evolve.

'Magikarp, Tackle!' Ash quickly ordered. Magikarp bounced onto his fin and flung himself at Electrike, hitting the electric pokemon with a dull thud. Electrike was pushed back slightly, but bared his teeth in response, not easily put off.

'You use Tackle too Electrike!' Mary ordered, and bounding forwards Electrike returned the favour and slammed into Magikarp. Magikarp flopped about as Ash gave his next order.

'Tackle again!' he cried, and once again, Magikarp collided with the electric type pokemon, dealing a little more damage.

'Right, time pull this around. Electro Ball!' Mary commanded, and Ash's eyes widened. He realised now that he hadn't factored Egg Moves into his plan, and as Electrike charged up a crackling ball of electricity in his muzzle, Ash did the only thing he could think of.

'Use Tackle to dodge Magikarp!' he yelled as Electrike released the Electro Ball. Magikarp hurled himself out of the way, _just_ missing the yellow orb which exploded where he had been just a second ago.

'Great job Magikarp, now use Tackle again!' Ash ordered, and he grinned when the fish pokemon managed to land a third hit.

'Right, I've had enough of this, use Thunder Wave!' his opponent yelled, and Electrike's fur crackled with static electricity before he ran at Magikarp and hit him with a short electric blast.

Magikarp yelped in pain as static coursed over his body, before its effects set in, paralysis the water pokemon.

'Now finish it with Electro Ball!' Mary ordered, and unable to move, Magikarp was hit head on with the orb of electricity. When the smoke faded down, Magikarp was unable to battle.

'And this round goes to Electrike, trainers, send out your final pokemon!' the announcer commanded as this time the crowd applauded Mary.

'Thanks Magikarp, you did amazingly well' Ash beamed with pride as he returned Magikarp to the confines of his pokeball. Despite his lose, Ash couldn't help but feel pride at how Magikarp had held his own. One day he'd be a might Gyarados, he was sure of it.

'You were excellent Electrike, thank you' Mary said as she recalled her pokemon also.

It was time for both trainers to reveal their final pokemon. Ash selected Pidgeotto to be his final choice, and Mary set out a pokemon with bright green skin, thin arms and legs, a red belly, and bright yellow eyes. Its tail was darker green, and Ash immediately knew that it was a grass type pokemon, a pokemon called Treecko which happened to be the grass type starter of the Hoenn region.

'Treecko, knock that Pidgeotto out of the sky with Bullet Seed' Mary pounced, and Treecko spat out dozens of small brown seeds from his mouth in quick succession.

'Block them with Whirlwind!' Ash countered, and Pidgeotto whipped up a fierce whirlwind which not only halted the Bullet Seeds but sent them back at Treecko, forcing him to jump backwards as they hit the ground, exploding like miniature bombs.

Whilst Treecko was distracted by the reversal of his own attack, Ash quickly gave Pidgeotto his next command.

'Quick Attack into Whirlwind, trap Treecko in a vortex!' Ash yelled and Pidgeotto swooped low. He struck Treecko hard in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Before the grass pokemon hit the ground again though, he was suddenly swept up into a small whirlwind that Pidgeotto had just summoned. He was helpless to do anything but hang in the air.

'Break the vortex with Gust!' Ash ordered, and Pidgeotto sent a small gust of wind to disrupt the whirlwind, and in that split second, Treecko was flung to the ground.

'Quick Attack!' Ash cried, and Pidgeotto shot towards the still falling Treecko. The flying type slammed into the falling pokemon's belly and increased his speed, and with a horrible thud Treecko screamed in pain as he hit the hard floor. He tried to get up, but the blow had been too much, and he quickly fell unconscious.

'And Treecko is out of the match! With two wins, the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum!' the announcer cheered and the crowd all roared it delight, clapping furiously for Ash.

'Well Done Ash, that was amazing!' he heard Misty yelled from her seat. Across the field Mary had scooped up her Treecko and was whispering assures to him. She returned him to his pokeball and smiled across the field at Ash before turning and walking out of the arena. Ash exited too, and was soon back in his seat next to Misty, watching the next battle progressing.

…

'And so end another match. Our final match of the first round of the tournament is about to begin. Please could John Greengrass and Misty Waterflower make their way down to the arena' the announcer summoned, and with a wish of good luck from Ash, Misty hurried down to her spot.

Facing her from across the battle field, and looking slightly more nervous than her, was a young boy, John, who had bristly blonde hair, jade blue eyes and white skin with a coating of dark freckle.

Misty looked up at the screen and saw that this match would be a two on two battle. It would also be an elimination battle that way. The trainer to knock out both their opponent's pokemon would be the winner. Misty steeled herself. If she wanted to win that prize, she'd have to play to win here. Just the way she liked playing!

'Trainers, bring forth your pokemon!' the announcer ordered, and both trainers leapt into action.

'Go, Pidgey!' John called, letting out the small bird pokemon.

'Go, Poliwag!' Misty cried, calling forth her newest addition to her team.

'Trainers, begin!' the announcer boomed.

'Pidgey, use Air Slash!' John commanded. Pidgey stooped towards Poliwag, a blade of swirling air energy forming around his wings.

'An Egg move huh… well let's use one of ours, Poliwag, stop him with Ice Ball!' Misty cried. When she had caught Poliwag, she had asked Ash to run a move scan on him using his pokedex. She had been pleasantly surprized by his move set.

Along with Water Sport, Bubble, Hypnosis, and Water Gun, Poliwag also had several Egg Moves at his disposal. Ice Ball, Mud Shot and Water Pulse were the moves Poliwag had been born with, and Misty fully intended on working with them to make them as strong as they could be.

Poliwag blow a sort of frozen bubble from his pink lips before he span and tossed to frozen chunk of ice at the approaching Pidgey. But the flying type pokemon managed to dodge and hit Poliwag with his Air Slash. Poliwag yelped in pain.

'Poliwag, use Bubble and Water Gun to knock him down to the ground!' Misty cried. She really didn't want to lose this first battle. It would make things more difficult for her second pokemon, and she'd rather not be in that position.

Poliwag shot a mouthful of Bubbles into the air and began firing jet of crystal clear water up at the bird pokemon. After a few failed attacks, Poliwag managed to land a hit, and Pidgey was knocked downwards through the air.

'Now, Hypnosis!' Misty called when Pidgey fell close enough. The swirl on Poliwag's belly began to spin, and soon Pidgey landed on the floor, fast asleep.

'Pidgey, wake up!' John tried in vain as Misty prepared her barrage of attacks to take the sleeping pokemon out.

'Use Water Pulse followed by Bubble and Ice Ball!' she ordered. She knew it might be overkill to get a Pidgey out of the match, but she really wanted that prize, or at least to get through to the next round, so she was prepared to go a little overboard in order to ensure that.

A large pulsating orb of water was fired from Poliwag's mouth, and as it flew through the air a wave of bubbles soon surrounded it. When the Ice Ball hit the collection of water, it froze into a massive weird cloud like object of frozen bubbles and when it hit Pidgey, it shatter, smashing chunks of ice into the defenceless pokemon over and over.

Suddenly Pidgey woke up to find himself bruised and battered. He immediately passed out.

'And the first match goes to Misty and Poliwag! Better luck next time Pidgey! Trainers call out your final pokemon' the announcer shouted, and after hugging Poliwag and telling him how brilliant he was, Misty returned him and called out her next pokemon, which happened to be Staryu.

Across the field John had returned Pidgey and called out his next pokemon. It was another flying type pokemon but this one Misty wasn't familiar with. It was a small round bird creature with light brown feathers. It had strange red eyes with black rings around them, and its eyebrows kind of looked like clock hands.

'Begin!' the announcer commanded.

'Hoothoot, we're behind already, so kind your guard up' John called to his pokemon, revealing its name to be Hoothoot.

'Staryu, use Swift!' Misty shouted. Staryu began firing small golden stars through the air as Hoothoot hovered through the air to avoid them all.

'Hoothoot, turn the tides with Hypnosis!' John ordered. Hoothoot's eyes became glowing red, and Misty herself started feeling drowsy but she quickly shook her hair and stopped looking at the bird pokemon. Staryu had turned its back too, to avoid been forced into sleep.

'Nice try, but no one uses my battle style against me, Staryu, uses Rapid Spin and Water Gun together!' she smirked. Staryu span through the air whilst spraying water, and effortlessly batted Hoothoot out of the air.

'Now, Tackle!' she ordered as Hoothoot hit the ground. Staryu fell slowly through the air too, and positioned itself to slam directly into the flying type pokemon.

'Use Peck!' John ordered, and Hoothoot began pecking at the jewel embedded in Staryu's body.

'Full force Water Gun!' Misty shouted and Staryu, being so close, couldn't miss and hit Hoothoot with a full on Water Gun in the face.

'Finish with Rapid Spin!' she yelled, and again Hoothoot was too close to escape in time. he was sent hurtling through the air and hit the ceiling with a loud crack as Staryu span like a tornado into him. when Hoothoot hit the ground, there was a dent in the roof of the building, and an unconscious pokemon in the ring. It was over, Misty had beaten him.

'And Misty pulled off an amazing defeat with her fierce water pokemon. The winner of this match is Misty Waterflower' the announcer cheered and the crowd began going wild for the young water pokemon trainer. Misty beamed with happiness, pride in her heart as she thought of her pokemon.

…

'Hey Misty, that was awesome' Ash greet her as she walked into waiting room. All the trainers had gone there to find out who their opponent would be in the second round.

'Thanks Ash' she grinned at him as she approached a large machine. It was a pokemon healer, like the ones available in the Pokémon Centre. Since there were six rounds back to back, you were allowed to heal your pokemon in-between rounds so that they could battle at full strength. That way no trainer had an advantage over another based on pokemon's health. Ash had already healed his team whilst he'd been waiting for Misty to arrive.

They were quietly talking about the pros and cons of each of their battles and what they had learnt from them when the announcer spoke again over the systems.

'Trainers, please turn your attention to the overhead screens which will now display your opponent for the second round' they requested before the screen flared to life. Both Ash and Misty were through of course since they had won, and quickly looked at their opponents.

Ash's was to be a boy named Harry, and Misty's was a girl who went by the name of Chloe. They soon headed back to their seats, and watched as the battles started up again. Since half the trainers had been knocked out in the first round, there were only thirty two trainers in this now, so it wasn't long before it was time for one of them to battle again.

'Can Chloe Little and Misty Waterflower make their way down to the arena please?' the announcer asked, and Misty run back down to the arena, a pokeball already in her hand. She had to be prepared this time. She remembered Chloe's battle vividly. Like John, she also used flying type pokemon, but much more effectively than he had. She'd need to be on her toes if she was to reach round three.

The announcer ordered them to reveal their pokemon, and both girls immediately did just that.

'Go, Goldeen!' Misty cried, letting out the fish pokemon.

'Go, Natu!' Chloe yelled, and before Misty appeared a small round green pokemon with a red feather for hair, small yellow and red wings, and a soft yellow beak. It hopped slightly, and Misty immediately guessed that it couldn't actually fly.

Misty silently reflected Goldeen's move set to herself. Peck, Tail Whip, Water Sport, Supersonic, and Horn Attack. She only had one Egg Move, Psybeam, but she had only ever used it once, and hadn't had very good aim with it. But it might be worth a try here. After all, the greater the risk, the greater the payoff.

'Natu, Night Shade!' Chloe yelled to begin, and Natu glowed like the darkness of night before Goldeen suddenly shivered as a black aura surrounded her. She gasped when the attack ended, but a lot of her strength had been stolen from her.

Misty frowned. This Chloe girl was good, but she wasn't going to let that put her own. She was tough herself, and if she played this right, she'd be able to win. This time her battle was three on three, so she had time later to might a comeback if this match failed. She only had to win two matches after all.

'Goldeen, use Supersonic!' Misty ordered, and Goldeen opened her mouth, letting out a high-pitched shriek that would have sent Puppy Pokémon wild if there was any around. Natu winced as she was hit by the sound wave, and began to sway on the spot when it ended, completely confused.

'Now you Aqua Tail!' Misty cried, and Goldeen began fanning her tail around. Plucking the moisture from the air, her tail soon had a shroud of water splashing around it, and flicking her tail in the direction of the stumbling Natu, Goldeen hit the flying type with a wavy attack.

'Natu, use Peck' Chloe ordered, but Natu was still confused and completely missed Goldeen, but made the mistake of getting too close.

'Psybeam!' Misty called, and with her horn glowing in a rainbow of colours, Goldeen hit Natu head on with a blast of comic energy. Natu yelp in pain, but finally snapped out of its confused state.

'Natu, teleport!' Chloe cried. Natu disappeared in a flash of light, but Misty knew where it would appear before it actually happened. She had been watching Chloe's battle before, and she had seen the types of tricks she pulled. Misty wouldn't fall for this one though.

'Goldeen, use Peck behind you!' she ordered, and Goldeen span around, jabbing her horn outwards just as Natu faded into existence. It shrieked in pain as Goldeen's sharp horn hit it directly between the eyes.

'Now use Horn Attack!' she carried on with. Goldeen furious assaulted Natu with her horn in rapid succession, and it wasn't long before the green pokemon was knocked out of both the match and consciousness.

'Rats, but a good attempt Natu' Chloe recalled her first pokemon.

'You were great Goldeen! Return and rest for now!' Misty beamed as she too recalled her pokemon.

'And once again Misty takes the first match, but can she keep it up? Trainers… next pokemon' the announcer sang.

'Poliwag, you're up again!' Misty called out Poliwag once more.

'Farfetch'd, I choose you!' Chloe yelled, sending out her second pokemon. Misty looked at her next pokemon curiously. It was really quite adorable. It was a small duck like pokemon with light brown feathers and cream feathers lining his belly. With one win it carried a bright green stalk, and had three tuft-like hair pieces on its head. But cute or not, Misty was determined to take that Farfetch'd down.

'Poliwag, Ice Ball' she ordered, but when Poliwag fired the icy attack, Farfetch'd flew upwards to avoid it.

'Poison Jab!' Chloe ordered, and with the stalk bubbling purple, Farfetch'd swooped and jabbed Poliwag with the now toxic stalk. Poliwag moaned in pain as he flashed purple.

'Oh no, he'd been poisoned! Poliwag, Hypnosis!' Misty quickly ordered. If she could end this quickly and return Poliwag to his pokeball, this round might not be lost on her.

Poliwag's swirling belly made short work of Farfetch'd, and soon the duck pokemon was curled up on the floor, snoozing lightly.

'Poliwag, use Water Pulse!' Misty screamed. Unable to dodge whilst asleep, Farfetch'd was drenched as water exploded all around him. He spluttered and woke up though, and was not happy to find out he'd been hit whilst asleep.

'Farfetch'd, Aerial Ace' Chloe smirked, and before anyone could react, Farfetch'd moved like a blur towards Poliwag, sending him bouncing across the floor when he slammed into the water pokemon.

'Bubble!' Misty ordered.

'Steel Wing' Chloe ordered at the same time. Farfetch'd's wings glowed silver and became encased in steel, and he effortlessly smashed his way through Poliwag's wall of bubbled, before heading for the water pokemon himself. Poliwag squealed in pain as Farfetch'd slashed him with his heavy wings.

Poliwag flashed purple again as more poison swept through his body. He shuddered and staggered for a moment, before he hit the floor and was submerged by darkness.

'And Poliwag is out! Farfetch'd wins this round. Final round, trainers select your pokemon!' the Announcer boomed. Chloe recalled her Farfetch'd who looked proud of his victory, and sent out her last pokemon.

'Go Ledian' she called.

Misty cringed slightly at the sight of the pokemon. It was a bright red lady-bird like creature with a slightly elongated head. It had deep blue alien like eyes, and four small arms ending in boxing-glove like hands. It was fluttering in the air. A bug/flying type… why did there always have to be bugs?!

'Go, Starmie!' Misty cried, sending out her strongest pokemon to deal with that bug.

'Ledian, Comet Punch' Chloe ordered, and Ledian dive-bombed towards Starmie. She began striking the star shaped pokemon with a flurry of punches. But Misty wasn't going to take that from some creepy bug.

'Stop her with Psychic!' Misty commanded, and within seconds Starmie had Ledian trapped in a bright blue aura.

'Drench her with Water Gun!' Misty ordered, and still holding her in its power, Starmie sprayed Ledian with a blast of clear water. But then Starmie's hold over her broke and Chloe immediately pounced on the opportunity.

'Use Dizzy Punch!' she yelled, and Ledian began punching Starmie with small stars flicking around her hands. Starmie wobbled on the spot slightly, but managed to avoid being confused.

'Water Gun again, completely soak her!' Misty cried. She wanted that Ledian as wet as possible to pull of her finale. Ledian spluttered as yet more water poured over her.

'If she thinks Ledian's going to splutter into defeat, she's way off… use Comet Punch again!' Chloe ordered. Ledian dove towards Starmie again, but this time Starmie was faster as Misty gave another order.

'Ice Beam!' she commanded, and as Ledian shot through the air, she was hit be a beam of ice with halted her in the air. She crashed to the ground in a chunk of ice, completely frozen.

'Now lift up the ice with Psychic!' Misty instructed and in that strange blue aura, the iceberg was soon floating in the air.

'And… drop it!' Misty grinned and the aura faded. The iceberg plummeted from the ceiling and shattered into a thousand pieces, and buried in the remaining pieces of ice was Ledian, unable to battle.

'And Ledian has been defeated. With two wins, Misty takes the match!' the Announcer cried, and Misty laughed as the crowd roared its approval. Chloe smiled sadly as she recalled her Ledian before leaving the arena.

Misty cheered loudly as she wrapped her arms around her Starmie, and after a few moments she recalled it before heading back up to the stands.

…

Ash stood facing his opponent Harry. He was a year or two older than Ash, with short light brown hair and warming dark blue eyes. Looking at the screen, Ash saw that this was to be a four on four battle, the winner of three battles took the match. They were both ordered to release their first pokemon, and both boys instantly did.

Ash's eyes widened as a large horse pokemon galloped around in front of the raven haired trainer. It had soft white fur and a mane of crackling orange fires. Ash had seen them before, it was a Ponyta.

'Go, Squirtle!' Ash cried. Whilst Pidgeotto might be able to hold his own against the fire pokemon, all his bug pokemon would have no chance, and Magikarp was too weak to beat it. Squirtle was his best chance if he wanted to get to the next round.

'Begin' the announcer boomed.

'Ponyta, Flamethrower let's go!' Harry yelled and Ponyta opened his muzzle, unleashing a jet of orange flames at Squirtle. Ash smirked slightly. This Harry clearly didn't have too much experience as a trainer if he was going to use fire attacks on a water type.

'Bubble Squirtle' Ash ordered, and Squirtle effortlessly put the fires out.

'Ponyta, Stomp!' Harry instructed, and Ponyta dashed forwards at great speed. He skidded to a stop before Squirtle and reared onto his back legs, preparing to crush the turtle pokemon with his front hooves.

'Use Rapid Spin to get away!' Ash thought quickly and Squirtle span away in his shell to safety.

'Muddy Water!' he ordered and Ponyta was hit with a blast of murky water. The fire pokemon whinnied in protest.

'Flame Wheel!' Harry shouted, and Ponyta began to roll forwards, knitting his legs into a ball before he began shrouded in fire. The fire ball rolled faster and faster towards Squirtle, who was using his Rapid Spin to avoid it.

'Bubble, followed by Rapid Spin!' Ash shouted. Squirtle blasted the fire ball with exploding bubbles, halting Ponyta in his tracks, before he span around and hit the horse pokemon in the face with his Rapid Spin. Ponyta was buffeted back as Squirtle managed to land on his back. Ash grinned. He hadn't expected that but was willing to go with it.

'Now! Muddy Water!' he cried, and Squirtle unleashed his most powerful Muddy Water directly in Ponyta's face. He was forced to use Rapid Spin to move away as the horse pokemon stumbled to the ground.

'Ponyta! Flamethrower again!' Harry cried in desperation. Ponyta managed to get back up and fired off his flamethrower, but Squirtle countered it with a Bubble attack. Ash frowned slightly. Ponyta was hanging on despite all the water he had been hit with. He was durable… but Harry's orders didn't make much sense. Soon he'd make a mistake; Ash just had to be ready.

He didn't have to wait long though, for when Harry made his next order, it led to Ponyta's end.

'Stomp!' he cried and Ponyta ran at Squirtle.

'Squirtle… stay still!' Ash cried. Harry looked puzzled but didn't stop Ponyta as he approached. He reared back and stood over Squirtle. Ponyta was completely exposed. Now was Squirtle's chance!

'Bubble!' he ordered, and Squirtle let loose a barrage of exploding bubbles that reacted with Ponyta's flames and caused a great blast of steam to surround both pokemon. When it eventually faded, Ponyta had been defeated.

'Alright! Excellent job Squirtle!' ash cheered as Harry sighed and recalled his Ponyta.

'And Squirtle beats the fire filled Ponyta! Trainers, present your second pokemon!' the announcer ordered as Ash returned Squirtle.

'Go Combee!' Harry called, releasing his pokemon.

'Go Weedle!' Ash said at the same time, letting Weedle out.

Harry choice of pokemon was bright yellow in appearance, and appeared to be three small hexagon shaped flies stuck together in a triangle shape. It had a pair of pale blue wings and the bottom bee had a red triangle between its eyes. Ash knew that that marking meant it was female. The announcer told them to begin, and that was just what they did.

'Weedle, Poison Sting!' Ash ordered.

'Combee, Bug Bite!' Harry cried at the same time. Ash couldn't believe his luck. Harry was ordering his pokemon to get close to Weedle, and that was exactly what he needed.

Weedle spat out a toxic needle which hit Combee directly in her face, gaining a squeal of pain as the needle got stuck in her. she tried to use her wings to remove the needle, but couldn't get it out. As she did this, Weedle shot more and more needles at her.

'Combee, stop panicking, use Gust to stop the other needles!' Harry tried to regain control.

Combee sent a gust at Weedle, who was blown back but managed to hold on. She fired off more Poison Stings, before suddenly her barrage of attacks ended as she started glowing.

Ash watched in amazement as her shape changed. She became bigger and rounder, her head began a dome and her skin became hard and wrinkled. Her eyes got bigger and blacker, emptier. She wasn't Weedle anymore… now she was Kakuna.

'And it appears all this excitement has caused Weedle to evolve into Kakuna. Combee's in even hotter water now!' the announcer commentated.

'Wow! That's so great… congratulations Wee… Kakuna!' Ash laughed happily. Even if he lost the tournament now he'd still be happy. Another of his pokemon had evolved, and soon enough he'd have a Beedrill in his team too, of that he was certain.

'Ka… Kuna' (That's… strange) Kakuna thought to herself. That evolution process sure felt weird… but if it made Butterfree notice her more, she'd happily change again for him.

'Combee, we need to end this now, Gust!' Harry tried.

'Kakuna, Harden!' Ash ordered and Kakuna shimmered white as her defences grow. She easily held on through the gust before she was firing Poison Stings off again. More and more needles struck Combee, causing the poison in her to spread even faster, and moments later the yellow pokemon hit the ground.

'And Combee is got too. If Ash wins the next match it's over for Harry!' the announcer states as Ash laughed and hugged Kakuna, congratulating her on her first win in her new form. Both trainers then returned their pokemon and got ready for the next match. Ash was determined to beat the next pokemon too, and was happy with the pokemon he had to face next.

It was a brown pokemon, a plump sort of mouth with large buck teeth and dopey eyes. It was really cute, and Ash knew from his studying, not very strong. It was a Bidoof, and like Combee, came from the Sinnoh region.

Ash's choice was Scyther. Now that the green pokemon had been looked over by Nurse Joy, who had been a little worried but had cleared Scyther for battle, Ash was determined to start training heavily with his poke-friend.

'Begin!' the announcer commanded, and Ash pounced into action before Harry could even blink.

'Scyther, Razor Wind!' Ash yelled, and Bidoof was forced to duck as blades of air swept around the battle field.

'Bidoof, Rollout!' Harry ordered, and Bidoof curled up into a ball and rolled like a small furry boulder towards Scyther.

'Counter!' Ash cried as Scyther threw up a shield just before Bidoof hit him. The damage that the Rollout would have caused was inflicted on Bidoof, who cried out in pain.

'Now use Vacuum Wave!' Ash carried out, and crescent-moon shaped blades of air were soon sweeping through the area.

'Tackle Bidoof' Harry cried, and Bidoof dug deep to find the strength to carry on, and managed to hit Scyther in the chest, winding him slightly but not dealing very much damage. Scyther responded by slashing Bidoof with one of his mantises, before accepting Ash's next order.

'Quick Attack!' he yelled.

Scyther shot towards Bidoof and rammed into him, and being so much bigger it sent Bidoof sailing through the air. The plump mouse pokemon hit the ground with a horribly loud thud, landing directly on his head, before his eyes shut as he was knocked out.

'Yes! Scyther you're the best!' Ash cheered as the crowd applauded.

'And it seems the final battle is redundant! With three straight wins the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum!' the announcer cried and Ash beamed. Soon enough the next match had started, and Ash was back in his seat next to Misty.

…

After another quick heal up followed by learning their next opponents' identities, the third round had started, and Ash was stood in the arena once more. Now there were only sixteen trainers left, and only four battles to go. If he kept this up, he might just be able to win the whole thing!

He stood facing his third opponent, a boy called David who had spikey strawberry blonde hair, piggy light brown eyes, and a pointed nose. Ash remembered his matches because he had been so amazed by his pokemon. David was from the Unova region, so a lot of his pokemon were ones Ash had never seen before.

The screen had randomly decided to make this match a two on two battle, so Ash would win if he took out both of David's pokemon. They were ordered to show their first battler, and both boys sent out their pokemon.

'Ok, Snivy, let's go!'

'Pidgeotto, I choose you!'

Snivy was a bright green pokemon with a cream colour belly and a shape like a snake. Its eyes were red and it had yellow leaves forming a collar around his neck. He had a leave like tail, and Ash knew that this pokemon was the Grass Type starter that Unova trainers could receive.

Ash had the type advantage, and so he quickly got to work.

'Whirlwind' Ash ordered. His goal was to trap Snivy in a vortex and just wait until it knocked him out. But it wasn't going to be that easy.

'Twister!' David called and Snivy set off a vortex, albeit it blue, of his own that cancelled out Pidgeotto's.

'Quick Attack!' Ash ordered, and Pidgeotto dive-bombed towards Snivy, who merely smirked in response.

'Grab it now! Vine Whip!' David suddenly shouted as Pidgeotto drew close to his target. Vines shot out from Snivy little arms and grabbed Pidgeotto's wings, stopping him in his tracks and holding him tight.

'Uh oh!' Ash muttered in alarm. He hadn't been expecting that.

'Now toss him!' David grinned and Snivy pulled on the vines, sending Pidgeotto crashing to the ground. The bird pokemon didn't take too kindly to that though, and sent of a Gust attack which knocked Snivy to the ground too.

'Nice Gust, now use Quick Attack again, but be careful!' Ash warned, and Pidgeotto shot towards Snivy again. Snivy tried using Vine Whip again, but Pidgeotto managed to dodge this time before smashing into the grass pokemon and sending him flying.

'Now Whirlwind before he hits the ground!' Ash cried. Whilst falling back, Snivy wouldn't be able to send off a Twister. Pidgeotto's whirlwind soon had Snivy trapped and flying around in circles.

'Now, Gust to end it!' Ash called and Pidgeotto send a very powerful gust into the tornado, and throwing Snivy to the ground. Upon impact, Snivy was knocked unconscious.

'Oh no, Snivy!' David shouted in alarm.

'Nice work Pidgeotto!' Ash cheered and both boys returned their pokemon.

'And the first battle goes to Ash. If David can't beat his next pokemon it's the end of the line for him!' the announcer reminded everyone as they both brought forth their next pokeball.

'Go, Munna!' David shouted.

'Butterfree, you're up!' Ash cried.

David's pokemon was a strange round pokemon with bright pink skin with strange purple flower patterns decorating it. It had a small trunk like nose and bright red eyes. It was cute… but weird. They were ordered to start, and both boy went straight on the offensive.

'Psywave!' David called, and Munna's eyes glowed before the pokemon fired a beam of pink and blue energy at Butterfree.

'Dodge and then use String Shot' Ash ordered. Butterfree gracefully danced through air, effortlessly dodging the beam, before firing a String Shot which hit Munna in the side and got stuck to him.

'Now send her flying!' Ash grinned. Butterfree began spinning in circles, and with a loud squeal Munna was spinning around and around before Butterfree let go, and she was sent face first into the wall. She slip down to the floor and angrily turned to Butterfree, firing off a Psywave which he dodged.

'Use Poison Powder Butterfree!' Ash cried, and Butterfree dove on his target, sprinkling him with fine purple powder. Munna winced and flashed purple, indicating she had successfully been poisoned, but then Butterfree flashed purple too and groaned.

'Oh no, Synchronise! Butterfree's been poisoned too!' Ash said in alarm. He'd have to end this quickly or Butterfree would lose and the match would go to sudden death!

'Psybeam!' David ordered, and Munna fired an attack similar to Psywave but with different colours in the beam. Again Butterfree managed to dodge, but the poison still inflicted damage on him.

'Butterfree, Confusion!' Ash ordered, and soon Munna was floating in the air. Well, she had been before but now Butterfree was in control of her movements. He waited until she was nearly at the roof, before he sent her flying straight down. She smashed into the floor but still found the strength to keep going.

'Munna, just hold on. Use Psybeam!' David ordered, and this time the attack hit home, and Butterfree was knocked out of the air. He hit the floor and groaned as he tried to get up. He didn't have the strength to keep flying, but he managed to stand on his feet.

Across from him, Munna was flashing purple, and without warning, she passed out, collapsing to the ground. Butterfree wobbled over too, before he too was unconscious.

'And it's a double knock out! With no pokemon left to battle whilst Ash still has Pidgeotto, David is unable to continue and thus this round goes to Ash!' the announcer cheered and Ash grinned in delight. Three down, three to go.

…

It wasn't long before Misty was back in the arena, and facing her own opponent. He had dreadlocked light brown hair, warming light blue eyes, and a mushroom shaped nose. His name was Liam, and he had already sent out his first pokemon. The match would house three pokemon on each side, victory when to two winners.

Liam's pokemon was a small bright pink circular pokemon with yellow eyes and leaves sprouting from its head. She was floating in the air using the leaves. It was a pokemon called Hoppip, whilst Misty had selected Staryu as her first pokemon.

'Hoppip, Poison Powder!' Liam ordered. Hoppip shot towards where Staryu stood, but Misty smirked.

'Use Rapid Spin!' she ordered and Staryu laid flat on the floor, spinning like a spinning top as Hoppip started raining purple powder. The force of the Rapid Spin was enough to blow the powder back into the air, and Hoppip couldn't help but breathe some of it in. she flashed purple as poison swept through her body.

'Oh no!' Liam cried in shock out how Misty had countered and his own pokemon had been poisoned as a result.

'Now use Swift, followed by Water Gun and Rapid Spin!' Misty cried. She hoped that this would work as she had planned. If it did, it would certainly be a combination she would use in the future.

Staryu fired off a few golden stars, before firing jets of water from each of its five points and it span through the air. To Misty's delight, the stars faded into the Water Guns and surrounded them, and when Staryu hit Hoppip, not only did she take damage from the actual impact, but the Water Gun and Swift exploded like a firework display, with Hoppip bouncing off every star and crashing to the ground. She was unconscious before she even hit the floor.

'Nice one Staryu!' Misty praised as Liam returned his poor pokemon. They were ordered to reveal their second pokemon, and Misty returned Staryu.

'This one will get her, go Pichu!' Liam shouted. His pokemon was adorable. He was tiny and yellow, with pointed black ears and a small black tail shaped like a tiny lightning bolt. Misty knew that Pichu were the baby form of Pikachu, and thus would be an electric type pokemon.

'Go, Starmie!' she cried, sending out her strongest pokemon. She knew it may be overkill to use a full evolved pokemon on a baby, but she wanted that electric threat dealt with swiftly.

'Pichu, Thundershock!' Liam ordered, and Pichu gather up a ball of static in his paws fire running at Starmie to hit him with it.

'Dodge Starmie and use Psychic' Misty ordered. Just before Pichu could land his attack, Starmie hopped out the way and soon Pichu was caught in a bright blue aura. He was levitated through the air.

'Bounce of off the floors and ceiling!' Misty went on to commanded. Like a bouncing ball, Pichu hit the floor before rocketing up and smashing off the ceiling, before crashing into the floor again. Starmie repeated this several times, before throwing the defeated Pichu towards Liam, who caught Pichu in his arms before he passed out.

'And Pichu is unable to battle, the winner is Starmie. The winner of this match is Misty!' the Announcer cheered and Misty was met with roaring applause at how quickly she had made short work of the battle. She did feel a little guilty about what she had ordered Starmie to do, but she was a trainer, she had to be able to face down opposing pokemon, even if they were adorable little baby pokemon. Shrugging herself out of those thoughts of morals towards young pokemon, Misty returned to her seat and waited for the round to end.

…

Round four had begun and with it found Ash facing off against an Ice Type Elemental trainer. She had shiny black hair tied back in a tight bun, icy blue eyes, and deep red lips. Her name was Erin, and so far she had been a tough opponent for the trainers she had defeated. Ash was slightly thankful that this match was to be a one on one battle. The first pokemon to be knocked out lost the round for their trainer. It was a risky type of battle with no chance of a comeback.

Erin had sent out a pokemon which had sent many of the female viewers crazy. She was so cute. Bright pink skin, paler lips and a mop of blonde hair. Bright blue eyes and a yellow collar and feet, Smoochum was her choice of pokemon.

Ash had carefully selected his pokemon this time around. All his bug pokemon would have a difficult time against her icy attacks, and Magikarp was definitely out in a battle this critical. That left Pidgeotto and Squirtle. In the end he settled on Pidgeotto. Squirtle would have a harder time dodging so Pidgeotto was his best chance of success.

'Ice Beam Smoochum!' Erin shouted. Smoochum fired a frosty beam from her swollen lips, but Pidgeotto managed to get out the way in time.

'Quick Attack!' Ash ordered and Pidgeotto bulleted towards his prey.

'Ice Punch!' came and order and Smoochum surrounded her hand in ice before trying to hit Pidgeotto as he drew close. But the flying type dodged around her and rammed into her, sending her sliding across the floor.

'Whirlwind!' Ash ordered and Pidgeotto batted his wings, summoning up a tornado around Smoochum. She cried out as she was batted around in the spiralling gale.

'Now use Quick Attack, right from the top!' Ash grinned and Pidgeotto flew up to the top of the vortex before using his Quick Attack to enter it. He rode on the circling current, letting them make him go faster and faster until he was at breakneck speed. He shot towards Smoochum so fast she didn't see him coming, knocking her right out of the whirlwind and sending her flying to the ground.

'Peck!' Ash shouted as the vortex faded, but Pidgeotto was still travelling with the momentum it had granted him. He rocketed towards the pink pokemon and his beak shone as he jabbed it into Smoochum. She shrieked in pain before toppling over. Sudden-death. Smoochum had been knocked out.

'And the winners of this match are Ash and Pidgeotto!' the announcer cheered as the crowd screamed with joy and Ash hugged Pidgeotto.

…

Misty's fourth round match was also against a female trainer, but it was to be a two pokemon battle. The trainer opposite her was pale with hazel eyes and had short brown hair. Her name was Helen, and she had decided to start with a baby pokemon just like Erin had.

The pokemon she had sent out in question was small and bright red. It had a head with looked like it had an afro of bubbles of skin forming it, and it had a yellow flame pattern on its belly. It had a short red tail and a yellow mouth, and a black band around his neck. It was a Magby.

Misty had elected Poliwag, thinking that Starmie was a little over kill for this one. They were told to begin the battle, and both Misty and Helen jumped into action.

'Mega Punch!' Helen shouted, and Magby charged at Poliwag with a glowing fist. Poliwag yelped when he was punched, before he reacted by following Misty's order.

'Hypnosis!' she cried, and soon enough Magby was fast asleep. Misty smirked; it would be plain sailing for her pokemon now.

'Bubble and Water Gun!' she cried, and a barrage of Bubble followed by a swift Water Gun hit Magby head on, quickly depleting him of his strength. One more Water Gun to the face had him defeated, and both girls recalled their pokemon.

Helen's second and final pokemon surprized Misty for a moment. She had sent out a Goldeen! So Misty reacted by sending out her Starmie.

'Begin!' came the order, and they both pounced.

'Goldeen, Aqua Tail!' Helen shouted, desperate to pull this back around. Her Goldeen sent a wave of water towards Starmie, but sadly for her, Starmie was ready.

'Use Psychic to stop it!' Misty ordered. Starmie's jewel glowed and all the water halted in its track in the air.

'Send it back and use Ice Beam!' Misty smirked as the water changed direction and Goldeen was soaked by her own attack. Before the fish could even try to move, the beam of ice hit her, and thanks to the water coating her, the fish pokemon was solidly frozen.

'You know what to do Starmie, psychic!' Misty cheered. The ice holding Goldeen floated upwards, hovering near the ceiling when Starmie ended the power, and it plummeted to the ground. The crash shook the entire battle field and the ice shattered in millions of piece, and buried in the wreckage under a large chunk of ice was Goldeen, completely out cold.

'And Goldeen is unable to battle, the winner of this match is Misty Waterflower' the announcer boomed whilst the crowd cheered.

…

There were only four trainers left in it when the fifth round started. Ash and Misty were two of them, and a boy named Hugh and a girl called Samantha were the other two trainers. Ash had been paired with Hugh for his battle, which came as a relief because he wasn't sure he was ready to face Misty. Whilst he'd do everything he could to win, it felt a little strange completing with his best friend, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. After all, friend or not, he'd give Misty his best shot. He was just glad it wasn't in this match.

Hugh was a thirteen year old boy with long strawberry blonde hair, a crooked mouth, and a button nose. The pokemon he had sent out a like a lump of molten lava. Bright orange and bubbling, it had yellow eyes and was clearly a fire type pokemon. Ash instantly recognised it from his studies. It was a Slugma.

He responded by sending out Squirtle. This close to the prize he was not going to let himself by defeat now. The battle was to be two on two.

'Trainers, begin!' the announcer commanded.

'Ember!'

'Bubble!'

The bubbles effortlessly dissolved the embers and hit Slugma squarely in the face, gaining a satisfying yelp of pain from the fire pokemon.

'Yawn!' Hugh ordered, and Slugma let out a loud yawn which caused Squirtle to yawn too. Ash knew he'd be asleep soon, but was determined to end this match before that happened.

'Oh no you don't! Rapid Spin and Muddy Water, full speed and power!' Ash cried. If Squirtle could land enough hits in time, it wouldn't matter if he fell asleep.

Squirtle began firing his Muddy Water from inside his shell so that water came out of the five holes as he span towards Slugma. He rammed into the lava pokemon and kept spinning against him, not only causing pain from the impact but from the brown water that kept crashing down on him.

By the time Squirtle had fallen asleep and the assault had stopped, Slugma had been defeat. Ash congratulated Squirtle despite the fact he was still in dreamland and both boys recalled their pokemon.

'And now it's time for both trainers to choose their final pokemon. The winner of this match will be going onto the final round!' the Announcer reminded the crowd. Ash gritted his teeth. He had to win this one if he wanted to get a chance of winning that prize!

Hugh's next pokemon was a small brownish orange fox like pokemon, with bright orange tufts of hair and six orange tails. It was so cute, and Ash knew that they were quite rare too, since it was a Vulpix. Once again his bug pokemon were out, and since Magikarp didn't know any water type attacks yet, he was out too. That left Pidgeotto.

'Pidgeotto, I choose you!' he called, letting the flying pokemon out again. The announcer called for the match to start.

'Fire Spin!' Hugh called, and from Vulpix's open muzzle came flames that swirled in a spiral. Pidgeotto flew up high to avoid being burnt.

'Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!'

'Counter with Quick Attack too Vulpix!' Hugh ordered, and Vulpix leapt up through the air. Pidgeotto and Vulpix met head on and whilst Vulpix was thrown back to the ground, Pidgeotto was sent spiralling off course but neither pokemon were hurt particular much.

'Gust!'

'Ember!'

Pidgeotto was able to hold back the embers and send them back towards Vulpix.

'Now, Quick Attack full power!' Ash commanded and Pidgeotto slammed into Vulpix, and she fell through the air.

'Gust, full strength!' Ash quickly carried on with, and with most of his strength, Pidgeotto summoned the most powerful gust that he could. It carried Vulpix all the way up into the air and sent her crashing into the ceiling. She wined in pain as she fell back to the ground with another loud crash.

When the dust had settled, Pidgeotto had won.

…

Misty gulped slightly. This was it. If she won this battle, she would face off against Ash in the finals. She didn't want to do that of course. It was be horribly awkward if she was made to battle Ash, no matter who won the battle. She was sure that they'd remain friends of course, but it was still be weird.

She watched as her opponent, Samantha, walked out onto the field. She had light red hair, forest green eyes, and a pointed nose. It had been decided that this battle would be a one-on-one. If Misty failed to beat this one pokemon, she'd be out of the tournament.

'Trainers, present your pokemon!' the announcer ordered.

'Go Starmie, I choose you!' she cried, calling out her strongest pokemon.

'Gloom, come on out!' Samantha ordered, and before Misty appeared a large blue pokemon. It had a round body, closed eyes and big purple lips. It had four weird spherical petals forming a flower on its head, and a drip of drool was falling from its lips.

'Trainers, begin!' the announcer called.

'Starmie, Rapid Spin!' Misty ordered, and towards Gloom Starmie rocketed.

'Razor Leaf!' Samantha called, and from Gloom's flower came a barrage of sharp spinning leaves, which managed to strike Starmie and halt it in its tracks.

'Sleep Powder!' Samantha carried on, and Gloom sprayed a cloud of green dust at Starmie. Starmie fell back, and despite the fact that Starmie didn't have a face, Misty knew it was asleep.

'Oh no, this is bad!' she whispered. Starmie was left completely defenceless against a grass pokemon! It couldn't get any worse now!

'Sunny Day!' Samantha cried, and from out of Gloom's flower burst an orb of sunlight, which exploded and made the entire arena brighter. Misty squinted to see through the bright light.

'Now finish with Solarbeam!' she heard Samantha yelled.

'Starmie wake up!' she shrieked but it was too late for her. Gloom fired off a beam of blinding white light which was made even more powerful both inducing the Sunny Day. When it hit Starmie, the beam exploded in a ball of thick black smoke.

When the smoke died down, Starmie's jewel was flashing on and off, indicating all its energy had gone. Misty stood there, stunned. She had been so close… but now she had lost.

'And it's all over for Misty! A shame, a really talented young water pokemon trainer, let's give her a round of applause' the announcer said, and Misty was vaguely aware of the crowd cheering her name. She sighed. She should be proud, her pokemon had all worked hard and did their best, and that was what was important, not some prize on offer.

'Starmie return, you did an excellent job throughout this entire thing and I'm proud of you' Misty said, recalling her pokemon. Then she turned and headed back to her seat.

…

'I'm sorry Misty' Ash said softly when she sat down next to him.

Misty turned and smiled at him.

'Don't be sorry Ash, that's a tournament, you win some, you lose some. At least I can say I got through to the semi-finals, and anyway, it's only a small city tournament, not the pokemon league' she said, trying to be optimist. Of course she was disappointed, but she knew that she had done well to get as far as she did, and she was proud of her pokemon, that was all there was too it.

'But you listen Ash, that girl is strong. She had strong pokemon and you need to be ready. So you go out there and you beat her for me, got it?' Misty looked at him determined. Grinning, Ash nodded, before he hurried off to heal his pokemon for his final battle, the battle to decide who won the tournament.

…

'And welcome to the final round of the Pewter City Pokémon Tournament. Both trainers have beaten their opponent in every round so far, and the winner of this match decides who wins our wonderful prize' the announcer declared as Ash and Samantha both walked out into the arena.

Ash wasn't just doing this for the prize now, but for Misty. She had wished him the best of luck, and had told him to thrash that girl for being the one to beat her. It had been decided that this match would be a full six on six battle; the winner would be the one with the last pokemon standing. Ash had to beat his way through six more pokemon if he wanted the prize.

And both trainers immediately jumped straight into action.

'Go, Weepinbell!' Samantha called.

'Scyther, I choose you!' Ash added. The most obvious choice would have been Pidgeotto, but he wanted to save him for later. Weepinbell was a large plant like creature, bright yellow in colour and shaped like a bell. It had a stalk growing from the top of it and two leaf-like arms, and a wide gapping mouth at the bottom of its body.

'Begin!' the announcer commanded.

'Weepinbell, Sleep Powder!' she commanded. Ash had watched her use this tactic with Misty, and he wasn't going to let her use it on him.

'Razor Wind' Ash commanded, and as an air type attack, the Razor Wind was able to push the cloud back towards Weepinbell, who managed to avoid breathing it in but negated the attack all the same.

'Quick Attack!' Ash ordered, and Scyther swiftly sent Weepinbell soaring.

'Wrap!' Samantha ordered, and from out of Weepinbell's mouth came a bunch of vines which looped around Scyther's arms, legs and wings and held him tight.

'Now bash him Weepinbell!' she called, and Weepinbell began thudding Scyther repeatedly against the floor. Scyther bite down a cry of pain. He was NOT going to moan out; he would NOT show his pain. Suddenly the vines loosened after a particular hard bash, and Scyther took his chance.

He used a Quick Attack and managed to break free.

'Scyther! Scy, Scyther!' (Time for some payback!)

'Scyther, Vacuum Wave!' Ash cried and Scyther launched as many wind blades as he could muster up. They swirled around Weepinbell like a spikey hurricane, before slashing him repeated. He slumped slightly, but wasn't done yet.

'Weepinbell, wrap this up now, Solarbeam!' Samantha called, clearly wanting this over soon. And Ash smiled. Weepinbell was nearly done… and Samantha had just ordered the end of the battle, for her that was.

'Counter!' Ash grinned and Samantha face fell as she realised what was about to happen.

'Weepinbell stop!' she tried but it was too late. Weepinbell fired and Scyther threw up a shield to save himself. All the energy from the Solarbeam bounced back towards Weepinbell and exploded, and once the smoke died down, the grass pokemon had been knocked out by his own attack.

'And the winner of the first match is Scyther! Trainers, bring forth your second pokemon' the announcer ordered.

'Oddish, I choose you!' Samantha called, letting out her second pokemon, which happened to be identical to Mel's.

'Kakuna, you're up!' Ash called out his cocoon pokemon. They were soon ordered to begin.

'Poison Sting!' Ash ordered, but despite the sharp impact of Kakuna's needle, Oddish wasn't poisoned. Ash realised that it wouldn't work on Oddish. Poison type pokemon couldn't be poisoned! He'd just made a terrible mistake!

'Nice try, but let me show you how's it's done, Acid!' Samantha screamed, and soon blobs of purple acid were raining down on Kakuna. The cocoon pokemon flashed purple, she had been poisoned. Ash sighed. He knew it would have to be done now; he'd have to sacrifice Kakuna. But he'd make sure she got a nice shot in too!

'Continuous Poison Stings!' he ordered, and Kakuna fired needle after needle at Oddish, who whimpered as she kept being hit by them. Now he wasn't trying to poison her, just weaken her.

'Oh I don't think so, Absorb!' Samantha smirked as Oddish drained some of Kakuna' energy for herself whilst Kakuna was affected by the poison again.

'Just keep up your Poison Sting Kakuna!' Ash cheered her on. He knew she was nearly defeated now, but at least she could do a little bit of damage and that would have earned her a good rest.

Kakuna fired of another barrage of needles which did their job and weakened Oddish slightly, but soon it became too much for the cocoon pokemon, and she passed out.

'Thank you Kakuna, that was good' Ash smiled softly as he returned his pokemon. He looked across the field at Samantha congratulating her Oddish, patting her head. He frowned slightly. Oddish sure looked weaker now, and maybe, just maybe, he could use the one pokemon he'd thought had no chance in this battle to finish her.

'Go Magikarp!' he cried, and Magikarp appeared on the field. Oddish stood opposite him, ready to carry on.

'Begin!' the announcer boomed.

'Tackle Attack!' Ash ordered.

'Absorb!' Samantha smirked. If Ash thought he'd stop her with a Magikarp, he was way off base.

Magikarp slammed into Oddish, who yelp in pain, but soon Magikarp was cringing as his energy was stolen.

'Keep using Tackle' Ash shouted.

'Keep at it with Absorb' Samantha echoed with.

And so it carried on like that for a while. Magikarp would Tackle Oddish, who would then undo the damage done by stealing Magikarp's strength.

It wasn't overly surprizing by the end of ten rounds like this that Magikarp was fully drained, and thus the fish pokemon collapsed to the ground.

'Damn it… two down. Oh well, thank you Magikarp, you tried hard!'

'Keep it up Oddish; you can take them all down!' Samantha cheered on her pokemon. Ash growled in annoyance. So she thought he'd be beaten by just one pokemon did she? Well he'd show her just how wrong she was.

'Go, Pidgeotto'

'And Ash's third pokemon is Pidgeotto, can he bring about a comeback' the Announcer wondered.

'Pidgeotto!' (The answer is… Yes he can!) Pidgeotto crowed smugly.

'Oddish' (Yeah right! Whatever!) Oddish huffed sarcastically.

'Begin!' the announcer demanded.

'Oddish, Sleep Powder!' Samantha ordered. She knew that Ash was getting serious now to bring out his one flying type pokemon. But she wouldn't give him the chance to get going with it!

'Yeah, I don't think so, Gust!' Ash retaliated. No way was he going too lost now, he wouldn't allow it!

Oddish fired off a cloud of green dust and Pidgeotto beat his wings. Finally the tables were turned on Samantha as the Gust sent the cloud back to its creator, and Oddish was put to sleep as a result.

'Oh no! Oddish wake up!' Samantha yelled but it was useless. Ash smirked.

'Pidgeotto, pick her up!' Ash ordered, and Pidgeotto swooped, grabbing Oddish by the leaves with his talons before he lifted her up into the air, hovering and holding her near the ceiling.

'Whirlwind!' Ash called, and Pidgeotto blew a whirlwind straight down. He then proceeded to fling Oddish into the whirlwind, and down she zoomed like a rollercoaster. She smashed into the ground and wearily opened her eyes, looking around in confusion and wincing in pain. she didn't see Pidgeotto shooting down from directly above her.

'Quick Attack!' Ash yelled and Oddish screamed in pain as Pidgeotto hit the crown of her head, sending her bouncing away. When she hit the floor, it seemed as though she had finally had enough, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

'And it seems as though Pidgeotto brought a comeback for Ash indeed. Oddish in unable to battle, send out your next pokemon!' the announcer told them.

Samantha's third choice was her Gloom, whilst Ash decided to go with Butterfree. They were told to begin, and both trainers leapt into action.

'Sleep Powder' they both shouted together. Two green clouds met and burst, sprinkling dust everywhere. Gloom couldn't avoid breathing a ton of it in and was soon fast asleep, but Butterfree had managed to save himself by flapping his wings to beat the dust away from him and towards Gloom.

'Nice work Butterfree, now use Confusion!' he ordered, and soon the butterfly pokemon had Gloom drifting through the air.

'Now use Sting Shot' Ash cried, and as Butterfree dropped the power holding Gloom up, he caught her with a Sting Shot.

'Toss her!' the raven haired trainer shouted, and Butterfree swung her round and round, faster and faster until she was a blur on a bit of string. Once Gloom was spinning fast enough, Butterfree let go and she was sent flying into a wall. She hit it so hard she left a dent in it!

But it seemed as though whilst it wasn't enough to knock her out, it was enough to wake her up.

'Gloom woke up! Mega Drain!' Samantha ordered, and soon Butterfree was glowing green as he was drained of his strength.

'Butterfree, use Confusion to stop her!' Ash tried, but he was already falling towards the ground, and soon Butterfree was completely drained, down for the count. Ash sighed; he had just lost yet another one of his pokemon. He needed to end this… now!

'And that's it for Butterfree! Gloom is the victor, time for your next pokemon trainers!' the announcer announced, and as Ash recalled his defeated pokemon, Samantha patted her Gloom and recalled it too.

'Go Pidgeotto' Ash called. He knew now that the flying type was his only hope of beating Samantha's grass pokemon now. He just had to keep switching between him; Scyther and Squirtle to buy time to get Pidgeotto's strength back up between battles.

'Bulbasaur, I choose you!' Samantha called. Her pokemon was one that Ash instantly recognised. He'd seen many of them at Professor Oak's lab over the years. It was a small blue dinosaur like creature, with four legs and small dark blue markings. Its eyes were red and it had a large green bulb growing on his back. It was Bulbasaur, the grass type starter for the Kanto Region.

Ash wasted no time, and swiftly leapt into action.

'Whirlwind!' he ordered.

'Razor Leaf!' Samantha called, but the leaves couldn't stop the vortex from forming and soon a leafy tornado was blowing around the field, before it sucked Bulbasaur up into it.

'Now set off another Whirlwind!' Ash cried. As another vortex was formed, the first one was cancelled out, and Bulbasaur was pulled forcefully into the second one.

'Gust!' Ash yelled and Pidgeotto ended the whirlwind and send a gust that sent Bulbasaur sailing through the air. With the power of two whirlwinds and a gust carrying him, Bulbasaur cracked into a wall and bounced off.

'Quick Attack!' Ash shouted and Pidgeotto slammed into him, sending him crashing to the ground even faster. No grass pokemon could handle that much power, at least not a pre-evolved pokemon, and Bulbasaur was defeated, quickly and easily.

'Nice one Pidgeotto, your fastest battle yet!' Ash cheered.

'Pidgeotto' (Of course, I'm just _that_ awesome!) Pidgeotto said proudly.

Ash recalled Pidgeotto. He needed him to rest up so that he could finish whatever pokemon Samantha sent out next. So for now Squirtle would be his battler, and he quickly sent out his starter pokemon.

Samantha's next pokemon was a ball of blue vines with two red boots as feet. Deep inside the ball in the darkness were two very wide eyes. Ash knew it on sight. A whole hoard of them lived just south of Pallet Town; they were strange pokemon called Tangela.

'Begin!' the announcer ordered them.

'Muddy Water' Ash ordered. He knew that Squirtle was unlikely to beat his opponent this time, but he could buy time. Squirtle managed to land a hit on Tangela, but it didn't even slow him down.

'Vine Whip!' Samantha ordered, and large vines burst out of Tangela's body and slapped Squirtle in the face repeated.

'Rapid Spin!' Ash cried, and Squirtle span towards Tangela, slamming into the grass pokemon.

'Leaf Storm!' Samantha cried, and Tangela glowed green as leaves formed around him, before they were all fired at once at Squirtle, who was blasted backwards by the force of the blow.

'Bubble!' Ash cried. He needed more time for Pidgeotto to rest up and gain more of his strength back from his previous battles!

Tangela effortlessly used his vines to bat the bubbles away harmlessly.

'Muddy Water!'

'Confusion!'

The jet of brown water was forced to change direction, and Squirtle spluttered as he choked on his own attack.

'Time to end it, Solarbeam!' Samantha shouted and Ash knew it was over. Squirtle was hit head on by the blast, and then he was gone. Ash sighed as Squirtle was left lying unconscious.

'Thank you Squirtle, you did your best' Ash smiled softly as he recalled yet another fallen pokemon.

Ash knew that with only Scyther as back up now, Pidgeotto would have a tough time of it, but he needed that Tangela dealing with before anything else, since Samantha clearly wasn't going to withdraw it. So stealing himself, he sent out Pidgeotto again.

'Tangela, Sleep Powder' Samantha ordered, and Tangela fired a green dust cloud into the air.

'You don't learn do you, Gust!' Ash cheered, and Pidgeotto used his gust to beat the cloud back towards its creator, forcing Tangela to go to sleep.

'Damn it! Fell for the same trick twice!' Samantha growled angrily.

'Pidgeotto, you know what to do!' Ash smirked. Pidgeotto stooped low and grabbed hold of Tangela, before lifting him up to the roof. He then proceeded to use another Gust to send him crashing to the ground. When Tangela hit the floor, he managed to hold on but was still fast asleep, so Ash went onto his next move.

'Whirlwind!' he ordered and soon Tangela was hovering inside a tornado.

'End it was Quick Attack!' he called, and Pidgeotto rammed into the grass pokemon, knocking him out of the vortex and crashing into the ground again. This time, Tangela was defeated.

'And once again Pidgeotto manages to pull a comeback. Can Samantha take him down or is Pidgeotto just too strong to be beaten?' the Announcer speculated.

'Pidgeotto!' (Of course I am) Pidgeotto cheered happily. He was loving this!

Ash smiled up at his pokemon. He was so proud to be Pidgeotto's trainer, he was working so hard! And he could see his enthusiasm, so he decided to leave Pidgeotto in for now.

When Samantha had selected her next pokemon, which was Gloom, the battle swiftly got underway.

'Energy Ball!' Samantha cried, and from out of the bloom on its head, Gloom fired a large orb of shining green earth energy, but Pidgeotto effortlessly dodge it as it exploded like a firework.

'Whirlwind, end this quickly!' Ash ordered.

'Pidgeotto' (You bet I'll end this quickly Ash!) Pidgeotto screeched as he flapped his wings. Gloom was soon stuck in a tornado, just like many of its teammates had been.

'Quick Attack!' Ash cried, and soon Pidgeotto disappeared through one side of the vortex, whilst moments later, Gloom fell out the over. Pidgeotto swooped after her and launched a full scale Gust directly in her face; flinging her to the ground at tremendous speed. She crumpled when she hit the floor, and that was it, she was gone. Samantha was down to just one pokemon now, and Ash still had two. He'd nearly done this. If he could beat the last one, that was it, the prize was his!

Samantha sighed as she recalled her Gloom. But she wasn't done yet, she still had her strongest pokemon left, and she'd give that Pidgeotto a run for its money, no doubt about that.

She was mildly disappointed when Ash replaced Pidgeotto with his Scyther, but then smiled. That would make the final battle be against that dratted Pidgeotto, and there was nothing she'd like more than that.

'Go, Vileplume!' she cried, letting out her final pokemon. The pokemon that appeared was a large dark blue pokemon with five red petals on its head. It was huge, a massive grass type pokemon, with a lot of power at its disposal. Ash gritted his teeth. This one would not be easy!

'Scyther, use Night Slash!' Ash quickly ordered. He knew that Scyther was strong, but that Vileplume looked unbeatable. But if Scyther could weaken it first, it would give Pidgeotto a good shot at claiming victory.

Scyther flew at Vileplume and slashed with his black glowing mantises. Vileplume yelped in pain before counting.

'Grass Knot!' Samantha ordered, and long vines shot out of Vileplume's flower, wrapping around Scyther's and tripping him.

'Seed Bomb' she carried on with. Vileplume lowers her head and fired a large brown seed from the centre of her flower.

'Counter!' Ash ordered, and just before it hit, the seed bomb bounced off Scyther's shield and hit Vileplume instead, exploding and damaging Vileplume's Health Points.

'Enough of this! Solarbeam!' Samantha ordered and Vileplume fired a white beam of sunlight at Scyther.

'Dodge it Scyther' Ash yelled. He just needed a few more hits and then Pidgeotto would be able to pull off a victory. Scyther _just_ managed to get out of way in time, and the Solarbeam failed.

'Vacuum Cut and Razor Wind!' Ash ordered. Scyther used what was quickly becoming his signature combination, and Vileplume yelled in pain as the many bladed attacks swiped at her body. She staggered and fell to one knee. Ash grinned slightly. Scyther was doing it! Soon she'd be weak enough for Pidgeotto to finish her off!

'Energy Ball!' Samantha ordered, but Scyther managed to dodge in time.

'Quick Attack followed by Night Slash!' Ash shouted, and Scyther shot at Vileplume, crashing into her, before slashing her repeatedly with his Night Slash. Vileplume whimpered as more and more attacks hit her, and it seemed as though Samantha had finally had enough.

'Hyper Beam!' she screamed, and Ash's eyes widened. Hyper Beam was a devastational move that would almost certainly knock Scyther out. But maybe, if he used the situation right, it would be Vileplume's end.

'Counter!' he called, but Scyther was just a bit too slow this time. Vileplume fired and yellow, orange, and black spotted beam of light which hit Scyther head on. He screamed in agony as he was blasted off his feet, and when he hit the ground and light down, he was covered in small burns and was out cold. Scyther had been defeated.

'Thank you so much Scyther, you did so well and I'm so proud of you!' Ash whispered as he recalled his fallen pokemon. This was it; it was all up to Pidgeotto now.

'And so it comes down to this. Both trainers are down to their last pokemon. Vileplume vs. Pidgeotto! The winner of this battle will win the Pewter City Tournament and our fantastic mystery prize! Trainers, begin!'

'Vileplume, time to end this once and for all, Seed Bomb!' Samantha called. Vileplume fired the seed bomb but Pidgeotto gracefully dodged it.

'Whirlwind!' Ash ordered. He hadn't come this far to lose now.

Vileplume dug her heels in to the floor and thanks to her bulky weight, managed to stay rooted to the ground as the whirlwind surrounded her.

'Why thank you, just what I needed, Stun Spore!' Samantha smirked. She'd been counting on Ash using Whirlwind, and since Vileplume was too heavy to be moved, she'd be able to fire her attack up the vortex, right to where Pidgeotto was.

Vileplume fired the golden yellow powder upwards, and it got caught in the wind and snaked its way up to Pidgeotto.

Ash laughed slightly and Samantha's eyes widened.

'Gust Pidgeotto!' he called and Pidgeotto quickly ended the Whirlwind and immediately used gust, sending the powder right back down to Vileplume. Samantha looked furious by the turn of events.

'I knew that you'd wouldn't fall for the same trick again so this time I let you think you had the advantage and then showed you that you didn't!' Ash smirked as Vileplume became paralysed.

'Whirlwind again!' he called to Pidgeotto, and thanks to Vileplume's lack of resistance, this time she was swept up into it. When Pidgeotto ended the attack, she sank like a stone and smashed into the floor with a thud that echoed around the room.

'Gust, Quick Attack, And end with Whirlwind' Ash counted off. Pidgeotto blew Vileplume skidding across the floor with the Gust, and then sped her up by ramming into her at full speed, before sweeping her up into the air again in another Whirlwind.

'Come on Vileplume, Hyper Beam!' Samantha screamed. She knew that Vileplume was nearly done now, but if she could get the first hit in maybe it would be alright. Just as Vileplume fired though, Pidgeotto dropped the vortex and her with it, and she was sent flying to the floor.

Her aim had been disrupted, and her Hyper Beam had been directed down, the same way she was falling! She fell into the impact zone and in an almighty explosion; she was pounded by her own Hyper Beam. When the power died down, a thick cloud of smoke formed, engulfing both Vileplume and Pidgeotto.

Ash waited tensely for it to clear. This was the moment, it had to be, he prayed that it was over… and it was! The smoke cleared and Vileplume was unconscious. It was over, he'd actually won!

The crowd screamed and clapped thunderously, stamping their feet and chanting his name again and again. Misty was yelling her congratulations and waving madly at him, and across the field Samantha recalled her Vileplume and exited the arena, heading back to the stand. She was actually smiling though, and cheering him on with the rest of the crowd.

'And it's all over, Ash Ketchum and his team have won our Pewter City Tournament, Congratulations Ash!' the Announcer roared delightedly and the crowd went berserk for him again.

Ash ran at Pidgeotto and pulled him into a huge hug.

'You are the best, the best Pidgeotto!' he said happily as he hugged the pokemon close.

'Pidgeotto!' (You bet I am, I'm the best for you Ash!) He cheered happily. It took nearly ten minutes for the crowd to die down, and in that time Ash had healed all his pokemon back to full health before return to the arena, with all his pokemon out of their pokeballs to be with him, where an elderly man in a black pinstripe suit was waiting for him with his hands behind his back. Ash slowly approached him.

'Congratulations young man. I am very proud to name you the winner of this tournament and to present you with our very special prize. You have shown yourself worthy of caring for your pokemon, and thus we bestow upon you, one that will need the most care of all' the old man said proudly, before from behind his back he brought around a large glass case, and in said case rested a cushion, with a large egg sitting on it.

Ash gapped at the pokemon egg in awe. He'd researched them in his studies of course, and his father had even shown him several and how to care for them, but he had near expected to obtain one so soon in his journey, it was incredible!

The egg itself was pale green in colour, nearly perfectly round, with a large red diamond marking on it. Ash couldn't help but wonder what pokemon it would hatch into, but he couldn't wait to find out!

The man chuckled and placed the case and the egg in Ash's hands, who carefully held it preciously.

'Give it up for Ash Ketchum, his pokemon team and his new pokemon egg!' the announcer called from overhead, and the crowd roared its delight once more. Laughing happily, Ash turned to his pokemon team.

'Thank you so much guys, this is all because of you guys, and I'm going to reward you all for it ok' he winked at them and they all cheered their names happily. The crowd continued cheering his name as he and his pokemon left, and once outside Misty came bounding up to him.

'You did so great Ash! You truly deserve that pokemon egg!' she greeted him warmly.

'Thanks Misty, but it's these guys who deserve all the praise' Ash said modestly, nodding towards his pokemon.

'And you guys of course, you all did brilliantly' she agreed. Talking excitedly about all the battles, all the struggles, and the wonders of the pokemon egg, the two trainers were happily on their way back to the pokemon centre to relax for the night. They'd face what tomorrow would throw at them together, but for now, they just had Ash's victory to celebrate.

…

From the back row of the seats, Shaun cheered and clapped his hands loudly as Ash was presented with a pokemon egg. One more pokemon under the boy's belt, to raise from scratch. Just what Ash needed!

He quickly ran outside so he could call his father to let him know the good news.

'Hello?' he father asked his phone.

'Dad, it's me. You'll never believe it. That tournament that's been advertised everywhere, Ash just won it! He managed to take down a Vileplume with his Pidgeotto!' Shaun said excitedly.

'Hum, and admirable feat for such a new trainer. What did he win?' his father asked in amusement. It never failed to amaze him just how excited his son could get over a pokemon battle.

'A pokemon egg!' Shaun said brightly.

'Splendid! That's certainly a pleasant surprize. By the way, our next plan is in action. We'll be ready to hit it in a few days' his father told him

'If you insist dad, personally I don't like it… but at least no pokemon will get hurt this time' Shaun shrugged.

'I trust you'll follow them up until we do this then?' his asked his son.

'Sure I will, but what if they don't come?' Shaun wondered.

'Don't fret, I've already got a Plan B in mind' his father assured him before he hung up. Shaun quickly hid behind a wall as Ash came out with his pokemon, shortly followed by Misty who congratulated him and his pokemon. He waited until they set off, and then carefully followed them. He wasn't sure the next plan would work, but he was sure that the events of today had just made Ash's team much stronger than it was before.

**...**

**And there's chapter ten! Into Double-Digits already : ) So yeah, a very, very long chapter. I was almost in tears of frustration towards the end of it, it was taking so long, but I think it went ok, of course I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review : )**

**So, I don't have many thoughts on the last chapter's reviews, but I hope people enjoyed this chapter. I tried to get as many other region pokemon in as possible, and I can confirm that the pokemon egg with hatch into a Non-Kanto pokemon : ) But I'm not saying which one : )**

**Also, has anyone seen the new Mega-Evolutions of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise? I've gotta say I like the look of them, and I'm even thinking of having them appear in this story, but much later on. I'm thinking that they'll probably bring out a Mega-Raichu too, or Mega-Pikachu since he is the most iconic pokemon. Just a thought...**

**Finally, people are still asking about Pikachu, so I'll say this, we will get there, but it'll be a while. And Pikachu is going to be a rotational pokemon like the others, but ASH. WILL. GET. HIM! So please stop asking and wondering, Pikachu will be in it, he's on the cover for goodness sake, just... please be patient : ) So, I hope you liked this long chapter and please leave a review : )**


	11. POKÉMON SPECIAL – Rewards and Relaxation

**Hey readers : ) So I was planning on posting a training chapter before we get to the first gym match, but then I was suddenly struck with inspiration for this chapter, and it simply demanded to be written : ) I absolutely ****_love_**** it when that happens! : ) Now, this is a special chapter. It focuses entirely on the pokemon's point of view and not human ones. It's a little different but was very fun to write, and it also gives you an idea about what types of personalities each of the pokemon has : ) So I hope you enjoy and please remember that Pokemon is not mine : )**

**...**

**POKÉMON SPECIAL – Rewards and Relaxation**

In a flash of bright light, ten pokemon appeared before their trainers. Instantly they all looked around, before looking up at the two humans that cared for them.

'Good morning everyone' Misty smiled at them all. She and Ash were around the back of the Pewter City pokemon centre, and Ash was wearing a harness around his body, keeping the egg he had won the previous day safe against his chest.

'We've got a special treat in mind for you all today' Ash beamed at them all. All the pokemon looked curiously at him at the mention of this.

'Considering you've all been working so hard recently, we've decided to give you all the day off, plus a present each. But you'll have to wait until five o'clock until you can get it' Misty smiled. All the pokemon let out a delighted, grateful cry of their names at this news.

'Now, you can chill out around the pokemon centre, or if you want, we trust you guys enough to go exploring around the city, but if you choose to do this, make sure you have one of the others with you. Oh, and if you get lost, don't panic, me and Misty would never leave without you, so don't worry, we'll come find you. But make sure you're back by five o'clock' Ash added sternly.

'We'll be back at five so until then… enjoy your day off!' Misty cheered and the pokemon roared happily again. Laughing at their pokemon's well-deserved happiness, she and Ash left the pokemon to let them decide what they were going to do; after all, they themselves had a lot of shopping to do today.

…

'Oh this is so cool, I'm so going to go explore the city' Squirtle beamed as he turned to his friends, trying to get a reading of their thoughts to see who might be willing to go with him.

'Is it really a good idea though, I mean we could get lost or hurt and they wouldn't find us in time' Butterfree wondered fearfully.

'Oh come on, it'll be fun… oh, but I can't really walk around properly whilst in this form, I'd have to bounce… OH! That sucks!' Kakuna complained in annoyance.

'Hey, don't worry, you and me can just chill out in the trees around here' Butterfree patted her on the head, since she didn't really have shoulders. Kakuna's eyes lit up at that suggestion. A whole day with Butterfree, by herself, to try and heavily drop the hint… perfect! She wouldn't say no to that!

'Butterfree, you are a genius' she beamed at him, using her String Shot to grab him and pull him into a hug. Butterfree blushed as suddenly being pressed against her, but looked smugly pleased by the position he had found himself in.

'Thanks' he muttered, his cheeks a deep pink, as they separated. Scyther rolled her eyes nearby.

'It's like watching Romeo and Juliet' he scoffed to himself.

'Who?' Starmie couldn't help but ask.

'It's a story, a human story about two people that fall in love… but they end up killing themselves' Scyther grinned wickedly, he had quite the warped sense of humour after all.

'You're kidding' Starmie scoffed.

'Nope' Scyther grinned slyly, and getting bored with the conversation, he hovered away, up and up until he was high enough, before he landed on the pokemon centre's roof and laid down to sleep. Just what he needed, a nice relaxing day to just sleep in a place where he was very unlikely to be interrupted by any pokemon or human.

'Well I guess he's made his choice about where he wants to go' Squirtle muttered, before turning back to the others.

'So, anyone else want to go explore?' he asked. He wouldn't disobey Ash, so if he wanted to go look around the city, he needed at least one pokemon to go with him. If nobody did, he'd be stuck at the centre all day.

'I do! I do!' Poliwag bounced up and down in excitement.

'Cool! Let's go then!' Squirtle beamed, and together the two water pokemon set off in their exploration of Pewter City.

'So what about you guys?' Pidgeotto turned to Starmie, Staryu, Goldeen, and Magikarp. Butterfree and Kakuna had already wandered away to some trees surround the side of the pokemon centre, and had already selected a tree in which to spend their free day.

'Personally I'm looking forward to a day of swimming practice in the pool' Goldeen stated, indicating with her horn towards the large swimming pool that the pokemon centre had around the back, a few feet from them.

'Me too… me too… me too' Magikarp globbered before the two fish bounced off into the nice cool water.

'We'll be spending the day here too, how about you Pidgeotto?' Staryu asked to be polite.

'I'm thinking of practicing a new move today, see if I can have it perfected by the time Ash gets back' Pidgeotto grinned at the thought. Staryu and Starmie just looked at each other.

'That's your day off?' Starmie asked incredulously.

'Duh, Ash's first gym match is coming up, and I need to show him I'm his best choice of pokemon to beat that leader's pokemon so he can see just how amazing I am' Pidgeotto replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Starmie and Staryu just looked at each other before they shrugged, and deciding to let the bird have his desires, or perhaps delusions, they bounced off into the pool too. They were going to just lay and absorb the sunlight though to refresh their bodies whilst they had the chance. That was their idea of a nice relaxing day.

'Right then, a nice day of self-training to show Ash how awesomely powerful I am, I'll be picked for his match no sweat' Pidgeotto beamed as he flew off towards the pokemon centre.

He'd just have to carefully avoid that nurse woman to make sure she didn't see him using the training facility each centre housed without his trainer's supervision. What could possible go wrong?

…

'So this is the city we've been heading for, it's huge!' Squirtle said, looking around at all the pokemon and people rushing around. Of course, to them, it all looked ever bigger.

'It's amazing, it's awesome, it's …' Poliwag trailed off.

'Something beginning with A?' Squirtle teased and Poliwag laughed.

'Let's go over there!' Poliwag cried, looking at a park across the road.

'Ok! Just make sure…' Squirtle tried to warn his friend but it was too late.

'ARGH!' Poliwag yelled as he bounced into the road, only to be nearly hit by a car.

'Muddy Water!' Squirtle cried, using his muddy water attack to send Poliwag across the road, out of harm's way. He quickly looked left and right, and once certain it was safe, rushed across the road to where Poliwag was picking himself up.

'There's no cars coming' Squirtle finished his earlier sentence, sending a glare at Poliwag.

'Err… sorry, and thanks' Poliwag smiled at him. Squirtle just shook his head. He liked Poliwag, he really did, but the guy was so hyper-active and clumsy. His overexcited ways would lead him into trouble one day, Squirtle was sure of it.

'Just look next time' Squirtle rolled his eyes.

'Sure thing! Now let's go explore the park!' Poliwag laughed, bouncing over towards the gate to the park, nearly knocking a little girl over in his excitement. Squirtle just rolled his eyes fondly, before he rushed after his friend before he got into any more trouble.

Once they were in the park, they paused to take in their surroundings. The park was beautiful really, lush bushes and trees and short green grass covered with flowers, pathways with people and pokemon walking around, a fountain in the middle, it was the very definition of calm, or so they thought.

'Mummy! Daddy!' a young voice was crying, and turning, Squirtle and Poliwag saw a small pink pokemon. It had a circular body and little hands and feet. It had three bubble-like things on its head but bright pink. It had brown eyes, which were currently leaking sad tears.

'What is that?' Poliwag asked curiously. He had never seen a pokemon like that before.

'I think that's a pokemon called Igglybuff… I wonder what's wrong' Squirtle said thoughtfully.

'Excuse me, is there something wrong?' Squirtle asked kindly, approaching the young pokemon.

'I'm lost… I can't find my mummy and daddy' Igglybuff sniffled. Squirtle patted the young pokemon on his head.

'Hey, it's ok, we can help you find them' Squirtle offered. Poliwag bounced forwards.

'Squirtle's right, we'll help you get back to your parents' he assured the pink pokemon.

'Really? Thank you so much!' Igglybuff cried, brightening up dramatically. Squirtle smiled at him, he hated seeing others crying, and this Igglybuff was only a child.

'Where do you live, what does your home look like?' Squirtle asked. Chances were this Igglybuff had wandered away from home and that was where his parents would be.

'Erm… it's a really big tree, and there's a big tower nearby. It makes a dong noise sometimes' Igglybuff said thoughtfully.

'A dong noise… could be a clock-tower' Squirtle frowned. He looked around. He couldn't see any clock towers or big trees, well, other than the ones in the park they were in.

'Do you live here, in the park, or somewhere else?' Poliwag asked.

'Somewhere else, there's a road and lots of young humans meet every day nearby. I watch them sometimes' Igglybuff explained.

'Not in the park, near to a road, young humans could be human children, so it might be a school, and a clock-tower, but how do we find them in a city this big… I know! Follow me!' Poliwag cried happily, bouncing away out of the park. Squirtle and Igglybuff just looked at each other, before they hurried off after him.

…

'Hey! None of your kind are allowed in our tree!' a deep voice growled. Butterfree jumped and turned around. He and Kakuna had just been minding their own business, talking to each other and relaxing in the branches, but turning around, they saw that the owner of the gruff voice was a Beedrill, and he was glaring at Butterfree angrily.

'Excuse me?' Butterfree said politely, truly not understanding the Beedrill's intent.

'You heard me. No one but members of our family are allowed in our tree. You are a Butterfree, and you are not allowed here! Get out!' he glared at the purple and white pokemon.

'Hey! He has just as much right to be in this tree as you! What makes it your tree?' Kakuna shouted angrily at the offending pokemon. Beedrill turned to her and spotted her for the first time. His gleaming red eyes widened and twinkled, before he tensed his arms, trying to show his muscles, before he pushed past Butterfree roughly and floated towards the cocoon pokemon, who was glaring at him as he approached.

'Well hello there… you are a fine specimen indeed… you're gorgeous' he said huskily too her. Kakuna frowned at him.

'I beg your pardon?' she gapped at him for his sudden shift in personality.

'Come, let me show you around my tree' he offered. Butterfree glared at the wasp pokemon's turned back. Just who did this guy think he was?!

'Ha! I wouldn't go with you anywhere!' she snapped at him.

'Oh come on! Together, we could produce the finest Beedrill offspring and honey around' he winked at her and she blushed. Despite his clear attitude problem, the Beedrill was massive for his kind, he was clearly very powerful, and his attitude said he was used to getting his own way a lot. She gasped. This male had to be Head of the Swarm, the strongest Beedrill in his group, the ones that must have made this tree into their home.

'Listen pal, she said she's not going with you!' Butterfree spat at him. Beedrill turned to him, angered by his interrupt, and his very presence.

'Are you still here? I thought I told you to leave my tree immediately' Beedrill shouted at him.

'Well… your mother obviously never taught you manners' Butterfree snipped at him. Beedrill pointed his stingers at him, clearly enraged now.

'You barge into my tree without permission, mock me in front of my fine lady, and insult my motherhood also… you shall pay dearly for your crimes you trespasser' Beedrill raged, before he shot towards Butterfree, who had to rocket upwards to avoid the poisonous stingers trying to rip his head off.

'Butterfree! Are you ok?!' Kakuna cried in panic. The last thing she ever wanted to see was her precious Butterfree hurt by some loser Swarm Head.

'Forget him my darling, you shall be coming we me now. Come with me, and you can be our Swarm's Queen' Beedrill floated back towards her, smiling widely and possessively at her. Kakuna glared at him. The Queen of the Swarm was the highest position a female bug pokemon could hold in the group. She was the mate of the Head of the Swarm, but there was no way on Arceus' earth that she would ever mate with this creep.

'Never! I have a trainer, and Butterfree is the one I love. I shall never become your queen' she hissed at him. Beedrill glared at her. How dare she pick that pathetic purple specimen over a finely developed strong pokemon like him!

'You choose him?!' Beedrill cried in anger, pointing at Butterfree who had just come back down.

'Yes! Butterfree is the one I care about!' she shouted, before she blushed. Of all the ways she had wanted to say that to Butterfree, yelling it at a Beedrill was NOT the way she had planned it.

Butterfree's eyes widened. He had thought that a beautiful female like Kakuna would never return his feelings, that she would be his friend and nothing more… but she felt it too! And that was the best thing that had ever happened to him!

'Kakuna…' he whispered with adoration in his eyes as he looked at her. Kakuna smiled at him. It seemed as though he wasn't about to reject her feelings for him. And by the look in his eyes, she could tell that he returned them. She beamed at him, but it seemed as though Beedrill had other ideas.

'Forget about him! And your trainer! You WILL be our queen' the yellow wasp pokemon shouted at her. He went to grab her with his pincers, to forcefully carry her away, but before he could even touch his new Queen, his body was surrounded in a bright blue aura of light, forcefully pushing his pincers away from Kakuna against his body's will. He turned and saw Butterfree's eyes glowing as well. He was clearly the cause of this.

'You shall NOT hurt my Kakuna!' Butterfree yelled at Beedrill. Kakuna beamed at him, she had to admit, she was really enjoying seeing this affectionate, protective side of Butterfree, especially considering it was being aimed at her!

'SHE IS MINE! SHE WILL BE MY QUEEN!' Beedrill was beyond outraged now, and spit was flying everywhere as he bellowed the words.

'If you want Kakuna, you'll have to take her from me first' Butterfree said calmly, but there was no denying the threat in his words. He was being serious, if Beedrill wanted to make Kakuna his Queen, he'd have to fight for her. Because Butterfree would, he'd fight for her, with everything he had.

'It'll be my pleasure, and once I've bathed my stingers in your blood, my Queen and I shall rule this tree and produce many glorious Beedrill offspring' Beedrill declared before he charged towards Butterfree.

'Poison Jab!' Beedrill yelled, one of his stingers glowing purple and he tried to stab Butterfree with it, but the purple pokemon managed to dodge just in time.

'Gust!' he cried, beating his wings together and forming a strong enough wind to push Beedrill against the tree trunk and pin him there.

'Argh…' Beedrill moaned, trying to attack but the force was keeping him immobilized against his own tree.

'Confusion!' Butterfree went onto use, stopping the gust but only to trap Beedrill's entire body in a bright blue aura. He then used his mind to repeated smash Beedrill against each branch of the tree.

'THIS. IS. FOR. THREATENING. MY. KAKUNA' Butterfree shouted, punctuating each word by smashing Beedrill off another branch.

'String Shot!' he yelled, letting Beedrill fall, before he had the wasp pokemon wrapped up into the sticky string. Unable to move his stingers to break free or to fly, Beedrill plummeted to the ground.

'Err… cowardly battling… release me… vermin Butterfree' Beedrill growled out as he rolled around on the floor, trying to free himself.

'Enough! You have lost! Accept the fact that Kakuna shall be going with me!' Butterfree glared down as he lowered himself towards the fallen Beedrill.

'Never!' Beedrill spat, fighting harder than ever to escape. Butterfree sighed.

'Sleep Powder!' he said softly, showering the wasp pokemon in fine green powder. Within seconds, Beedrill was asleep.

'Oh Butterfree you were magnificent!' Kakuna cried adoringly as she jumped down to the earth.

'Really?' Butterfree looked at her hopefully.

'Really… and… you're my Butterfree too… I mean if you want to be!' she cried, blushing like crazy. Butterfree grinned at her, before he hovered over to her and muzzled her affectionate, kissing her head.

'I'd love it' he beamed at her and Kakuna let out a delighted squeal of happiness. This was the best day ever. Relaxing fun, and finally she and Butterfree had admitted their feelings! She was the happiness cocoon ever!

…

Eventually Poliwag had led the way all the way back to the pokemon centre, and he, Squirtle, and Igglybuff arrived just in time to see Butterfree and Kakuna tying a sleeping Beedrill to a large tree trunk with their String Shots.

'Err, what are you guys doing?' Squirtle asked as he approached them. Butterfree and Kakuna turned around to look at him.

'Hey Squirtle! Back already?' Kakuna asked cheerfully. Squirtle just nodded, still looking at the sleeping Beedrill. Butterfree noticed and elaborated.

'Oh, this Beedrill was giving us a few problems, seemed to think I'd be letting my little Kakuna be stolen from me, so I had to teach him a lesson' Butterfree beamed.

'Your little Kakuna?' Squirtle scoffed slightly.

'Yep, I'm his and he's mine' Kakuna said affectionately, muzzling against Butterfree's body. Squirtle's eyes widened. They had admitted it! All the other pokemon had seen it and they had finally admitted it!

'I see… err, congratulations' Squirtle smiled at the two of them.

'Thanks' they said together, before they spotted Igglybuff.

'Oh hey, I see you've made a new friend. Hello sweetie, I'm Kakuna' Kakuna hopped over to Igglybuff, smiling kindly at the baby pokemon.

'And I'm Butterfree, a pleasure to meet you' Butterfree greeted him too.

'This little guy's lost, so we're helping him get back to his parents, do you guys think you can help us?' Poliwag asked.

'A lost pokemon?' Butterfree exclaimed.

'Of course we'll help!' Kakuna said immediately. Butterfree smiled at her for her kindness.

'Oh thank you Sir Butterfree, thank you Miss Kakuna!' Igglybuff cried in gratitude.

'No problem, in fact, let's get the others to help too' Butterfree said, before he flew up high, up to the roof, where he found Scyther fast asleep, bathing in the sunlight whilst snoring loudly.

'Scyther, Scyther wake up!' Butterfree tried but Scyther wouldn't wake up. Butterfree sighed, before he unleashed a gust attack which rolled Scyther all the way of the roof. Scyther woke up with a start, but before he could realise what was happening, he smashed into the ground.

'Ow… hey! What's the big idea?!' he protested as Butterfree hovered down towards him.

'Sorry about that, but we need your help, this little Igglybuff is lost, we need to get him back to his parents' Butterfree quickly explained. Scyther raised an eyebrow before he spotted the small baby pokemon looking at him hopefully.

'So I'm supposed to give up my day off to go on some Wild-Golduck chase around this city, all to return this stray pokemon back to his parents, which he stupidly wandered away from?' Scyther asked scathingly.

'Oh come on Scyther, he needs our help' Kakuna told him reproachfully.

'Forget it!' Scyther shook his head, and was about to hover back up to the roof to go back to sleep when he caught sight of the Igglybuff's face. His lip was trembling and his eyes were tearing. Scyther sighed, if that brat started blubbering and screaming, he'd never get back to sleep. He closed his eyes in annoyance. The sooner he got that pest back to his parents, the sooner he could get back to his relaxation.

'Oh alright, alright! I'll help' he sighed in defeat; and Igglybuff cheered, before launching himself at Scyther and nuzzling him.

'Oh thank you, thank you Sir Scyther!' Igglybuff cried gratefully.

'Get off!' Scyther protested, pushing the small pokemon off him.

'Great! I'll go get the others to help out too!' Kakuna said happily, bouncing off around the side of the pokemon centre to the pool where all the other pokemon were, expect for Pidgeotto. She actually had no idea where that feather brained bird had gone.

'Hey guys!' she called out. Staryu and Starmie, who were floating lazily on the surface of the pool, flipped vertically and looked at her.

'Kakuna? I thought you were spending today day with Butterfree?' Starmie said questioning.

'Oh we have… I mean we were… but somethings come up. Squirtle and Poliwag found this Igglybuff that's lost and we're trying to find its parents, we'd be grateful for the help?' she asked them.

'But of course, a lost pokemon in need of its family is far more important than our relaxation, come on guys' Staryu said, jumping out of the pool. Starmie did the same, just as Magikarp and Goldeen came up to the surface, having heard the entire thing.

'Can we help too?' Goldeen asked. She sometimes hated her body structure. It made moving on the land difficult but she really wanted to help.

'Me too, Me too, Me too' Magikarp added dozily.

'Sure, just try to keep up yeah, we don't need to lose you guys too' Kakuna nodded and the two fish pokemon hopped out of the pool, flopping slowly around to meet up with all the others, except for Pidgeotto.

'Where's Pidgeotto?' Squirtle asked all them.

'He said he wanted to spend today working on some new move' Starmie explained.

'I saw him sneaking into the centre' Staryu added.

'Right, well I'll go get him, and then we'll set off' Butterfree suggested.

'Thank you so much everyone!' Igglybuff beamed at them all.

'If we must' Butterfree heard Scyther say quietly as he floated towards the back door.

…

'Hahaha! Take this Spearow!' Pidgeotto laughed loudly as he jabbed his wing at a dummy target. His plan he worked perfectly. When Ash and Misty had left, he had slowly walked into the pokemon centre and hid behind the counter.

He waited until Nurse Joy and a Chansey with her had left the room, something about a kid with a disobedient Pikachu arguing outside, before he quickly darted across the main room and down a corridor, heading for the stairs at the other end, leading under the ground.

Down in the basement was the centre's training room. All centres had them, and by luck would have it, this one was empty, which meant that Pidgeotto could use any of the equipment he wanted too without being interrupted.

He had been working all day on strengthening his wings to the point where he could now call himself not only the fastest Pidgeotto around, but the buffest one too! Now he was itching to run into Gary and his Spearow again so he could knock that beaked beast down a peg or too.

He had been perfecting his Wing Attack, and he was sure that it was almost ready. He just needed to get a big more strength behind it. So he struggled to attach a set of weights on ropes to his wings, but once he had managed it, he had begun lifting them with just his wings, and judging by the sweat he was breaking, it was working. Soon he'd been unstoppable, the strongest flying type around.

'Pidgeotto? You down here?' he suddenly heard Butterfree calling.

'Err… what… err… do you… err… want…err… Butterfree?' Pidgeotto asked between each lift of the weights.

'Oh good you are here, come on, we need your help' Butterfree told him.

'Hey! What do you mean 'come on', I'm working out!' Pidgeotto protested.

'Well, trust me this is much more important' Butterfree cut him off.

'But… But… this is important! I need to keep working on my Wing Attack so that Ash will pick me for his first gym battle' Pidgeotto argued, a light whine in his voice.

'Pidgeotto, there is a young pokemon upstairs, just a child, that is lost and we need to help get him back to his parents, and you can help. So put down those weight and get your feathery butt upstairs now' Butterfree shouted, quite sick of all the resistance his friends were displaying over this.

'Ohhh… but…' Pidgeotto was torn. His conscience was telling him to help the kid out… but his desires were telling him to keep working. He let out a sigh, and wriggled free from the weights.

'Fine, but then I'm coming right back here and working on my Wing Attack' Pidgeotto stated in a tone that left no room for argument.

'Great! Come on!' Butterfree said happily, leading the way out of the training room.

Pidgeotto went to fly after him, but suddenly his wings cramped up.

'Ooh… wait for me… argh… too much exercise!' Pidgeotto moaned in pain as he had to hop up the steps, inwardly cursing that he had overdid it and now his wings were hurting him instead of helping him progress.

'Oh well, I guess that means its working' Pidgeotto sighed. One day he'd be so awesome he'd feel no pain at all, but until then, he clamped his beak shut to stop anymore groans of pain escaping him. He would NOT let the others see him moaning about pain! Think of the damage to his reputation!

…

Once the entire team was assembled, that was when they had set out to find Igglybuff's home. Butterfree and Scyther were in the air, and all the others were on foot. Of course the eleven of them were attracting quite a bit of attention, but they paid the humans and pokemon watching them little mind.

'Come on kid, any of this stuff look familiar?' Pidgeotto asked shortly. He was meant to be working on improving his strength and attacks, not wasting time going on some dumb city tour with a puffy baby balloon.

'Erm… that box looks familiar' Igglybuff said, pointing at a mail box across the street. Pidgeotto sweat-dropped when he saw it.

'Oh great, that's helpfully, considering there must be dozens of mailboxes in this block alone' Pidgeotto said, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

'Could you stop whining and keep looking?' Kakuna huffed. She was starting to get peeved by the bird's constant attitude. He wasn't the only one with other plans for their day off! She had given up a day with Butterfree for this!

'Why are you down here anyway? Why aren't you flying?' Goldeen asked from the back of the group.

'Err… I'm trying to improve my feet muscles… yeah that's it, to improve the strength of my talons' Pidgeotto quickly made up.

'You overdid your wing training didn't yeah?' Poliwag smirked.

'Not at all Poliwag, this bird has no such word in his vocabulary as 'overdo'' Pidgeotto said smugly.

'Buy a dictionary then… whoa, big group of kids, right over there' Squirtle cried, pointing at a group of boys playing football across the street.

'Yeah, but there's no trees, and no clock towers' Starmie pointed out.

'Oh it's hopeless!' Igglybuff began crying. Squirtle glared at Starmie for a moment, before patting Igglybuff's head.

'It's alright little guy, we won't give up' Squirtle told him kindly. Igglybuff sniffed but stopped crying at least.

'This is stupid; we'll never find the place like this… hey there! Hey!' Staryu started shouting, and a wild Rattata across the street turned and looked at the group.

'Yeah? What?' the Rattata called back.

'Do you know if there're any clock towers around here?' Staryu asked.

'Well duh! What do you think that is?' Rattata asked, pointing behind the group with his tail. They all turned and backed away from the building they were near. Behind it, to the side of the street they were on, a large gleaming clock-tower stood.

'Oh… thanks Rodent!' Staryu called over to him.

'Rodent? Who are you calling rodent? Oh never mind… tourists' Rattata scoffed as he went on his way. The group all rushed around the corner, only to find their path blocked by a large brick wall.

'What now? What now? What now?' Magikarp gurgled.

'If only this bird-brain hadn't worn his wings out' Kakuna smirked at Pidgeotto.

'How was I meant to know some kid would wander away from home?!' Pidgeotto shot back at her.

'Maybe Butterfree could get us over' Poliwag suggested.

'Sure thing!' Butterfree cried, before his eyes glowed brightly. Squirtle was suddenly surrounded with a blue aura, before he was levitated up over the wall. Butterfree lowered him down to the other side, before levitating Igglybuff up and over too. One by one the gang were all floated up and down to the other side, and when Starmie landed, Butterfree flew over too.

'Oh very funny! Come on Butterfree, get me over too!' Pidgeotto called from back behind the wall. Butterfree laughed loudly, amused by his little joke, but he used his confusion to levitate Pidgeotto over too.

'Hysterical. Very witty. Now come on' Pidgeotto pushed his way to the head of the group, all of them heading for the clock tower. They had just one more road to cross before they suddenly heard a voice sneering from above them.

'Not so fast!' a familiar voice growled. Looking up, the gang saw a swarm of Beedrill, with one giant one at the front, the one speaking too them.

'Oh not him again' Kakuna rolled her eyes in annoyance.

'Ah my beauty, I have been looking for you, come with me' Beedrill beamed at her.

'What part of no is hard to get you jerk?! I choose Butterfree! End of story!' Kakuna shouted at him.

'Who is that?' Pidgeotto asked with a huff.

'He wants me to be his swarm's Queen, but I refuse to mate with a Beedrill with an attitude like yours!' she shouted for Beedrill to hear.

'He wants you? He must be blind' Pidgeotto said quietly. Butterfree rolled his eyes. That was so Pidgeotto, making lame jokes at a time like this.

'You clearly didn't learn your lesson last time' Butterfree glared at the head Beedrill.

'And you clearly haven't cleaned your ears out. Kakuna is mine, period' Beedrill spat.

'Wrong, she's our friend… my… girlfriend… and we're not going to let you have her' Butterfree glared.

'Come on guys, we've got more important stuff to be doing' Squirtle said, leading the way towards the road. Suddenly many of the other Beedrill were in their path, blocking their way.

'Stop! You have our new Queen, we need her!' one of the Beedrill cried.

'I am NOT your Queen!' Kakuna shouted angrily.

'But once I wipe out your friends you shall be beautiful, and we shall have many glorious sons and daughters for our swarm!' the Head Beedrill called happily.

'Muddy Water!' Squirtle cried, smashing him with a jet of murky water.

'Errr!' Beedrill yelled, having not been expecting the sudden attack.

'Poison Jab!' three of the other Beedrill called upon seeing their leader attacked.

'Argh!' Squirtle cried as he was knocked to the ground. Thankfully he had not be poisoned, just roughed up.

'Squirtle!' Igglybuff cried in alarm for the pokemon that had been so kind to him.

'Ice Beam!' Starmie shouted, firing a beam of blue light at several of the Beedrill, freezing them in large blocks of ice.

All of the Beedrill were firing at them now, and they had them heavily outnumbered. Pidgeotto ducked to dodge another Poison Jab before he hovered up into the air.

'Ah! I think my wings were rested enough now' he said happily.

'Fantastic, I'll alert the media' Kakuna said drily, using her String Shot to knock a Beedrill out of the air.

'You should, I deserve them for being so awesome, Come my adoring fans, come cheer on your Pidgeotto!' Pidgeotto cried loudly as he fired off a Gust attack, effortless taking out two of the Beedrill.

'He really does live in his own little world doesn't he?' Scyther shook his head in amusement before slashing viciously at some more Beedrill, taking more of them out of the fight. The gang were finally starting to turn the tides as Butterfree and the head Beedrill squared off against each other.

'Confusion!' Butterfree shouted, using to powers to send Beedrill slamming into a brick wall with a dull thud.

'Sleep Powder!' he cried, moving closer to attack again. A cloud of powder drifted towards Beedrill, but he was ready for it this time. He beat his wings together even faster than usual, and the resulting breeze of wind caused the cloud to go back towards Butterfree. He gasped and accidently breathed in his own attack, the effects making him woozy immediately.

'No Butterfree!' Kakuna yelled in horror.

'Poison Jab!' Beedrill sneered, before he stabbed at Butterfree and knocked him out of the air. He hit the ground with a low thud.

'No! Are you ok sweetheart?' Kakuna asked tearfully as she bounced over to Butterfree's side.

He was fighting the Sleep Powder, and was still awake, but his eyes were heavy, he would be out cold before long.

'Sweetheart? That a pet name for me?' he chuckled tiredly.

'Sure, because you'll all heart and you look sweet' she giggled.

'Then I guess your pet name should be Love, because I love you' Butterfree smirked at her. Kakuna's eyes widened, but before she could reply, Butterfree had fallen asleep.

'Defeated by his own attack! Pathetic, you are worthy of better, come with me Beautiful' Beedrill said as he hovered down to Kakuna's level. She glared at him, her pet name was not 'Beautiful', it was 'Love'! She felt nothing but revulsion and hatred flowing through her body as she stared him down, and before she knew what was happening, Kakuna's body was glowing a bright white.

'NEVER. CALL. MY. MATE. PATHETIC' she screamed as her skin split and fell away, revealing her new form. Sleek and smooth, her body was a perfectly developed shape and her colouring with vivid yellow and jet black. Her wings shone as they grew to their full length and her red eyes glistened with emotion. Her arms sharped and became stingers, and when the process was over, a beautiful Beedrill was hovering over them all., All the other pokemon watched in awe at the sight of their friend's new, fully evolved, form.

'Oh excellent, you have evolved into your final form to be by my side, and might I say, you look magnificent' the head Beedrill grinned at the turn of events.

'I may look magnificent, but you are wrong… I shall never be by your side; I shall only ever be by my Butterfree's… and to prove that to you, take this!' Beedrill cried. Her voice was cool and collected now, more mature and feminine than her voice had been in her previous forms. She charged at the male Beedrill and squared up to him.

'What are you doing?' he demanded with a humourless laugh.

'Giving you a taste of what I like to call, 'Girl Power'!' Beedrill shouted at him.

'Twin Needle!' she screamed, firing off two large glowing needles from each stinger. They shot through the other Beedrill's wings and shredded them. He fell towards the ground with a surprized exclamation.

'Poison Jab!' he cried, trying to block her next attack which was a Fury Attack, but she managed to dodge out of the way in time.

'Bug Bite!' she yelled, biting Beedrill's body hard.

'Oh, a love bite' he smirked at her, and she glared at him. That jerk was such a git! She hated him!

'Twin Needle!' she screamed, moving in for a close range attack. The two needles hit Beedrill squarely in the chest, and yelling in pain, he slowly hovered upwards with his damaged wings.

'Argh! Fine, go… you're too much trouble anyway, go degrade yourself with that wimp, but when he leads you to nothing but slavery and squalor, remember that you could have been a queen because of me' Beedrill yelled at her in fury before he fled, his recovering swarm speedily following him.

'Hooray!' all the other pokemon cheered.

'That was so cool Madam Beedrill!' Igglybuff said adoringly. Beedrill blushed slightly but smiled widely.

'Now, let's get this kid home, and then I can go back to my training' Pidgeotto got them back on topic. Beedrill gently shook Butterfree awake. She was a little nervous he wouldn't recognise her.

'Err… what… where?' he mumbled, still sounding woozy.

'Hush now sweetheart, it's ok now. Look at me; I know I look different, but just look' she whispered to him. Butterfree looked at her intently, looking deep into her eyes, before he instantly knew who she was.

'Love… is that you?' he asked breathlessly.

'It's me Butterfree, Weedle AND Kakuna, it's me' she smiled softly at him.

'Wow… you look… beautiful' Butterfree told her, making her blush.

'Oh boy, come on love bugs, get a move on' Pidgeotto shook his head, using his wings to push them both forwards.

'So Pidgeotto, jealous much that there're four of us that can fly on Ash's team now?' Beedrill couldn't help but ask playfully. Pidgeotto smirked at her.

'Nope, because you're slower than a slowpoke in comparison to me' he teased before he flew off to dodge the stinger she tried to playfully swipe him with. They finally reached the road, and the clock-tower was directly opposite them. Poliwag, Squirtle, and Igglybuff were in the lead at the curb.

'There it is! There it is!' Poliwag said excitedly, dashing for the road.

'Now Poliwag!' Squirtle yelled.

'ARGH!' Poliwag yelled in terror as another car headed towards him. Suddenly he was wrapped up in Beedrill's arms, and she gently placed him on the ground. She had flown out and scooped him up, before hovering him over to the other side.

'Oh, I thought we were going to finally see something worth seeing then, why'd you save him?' Scyther smirked wickedly.

'Your sense of humour is atrocious Scyther' Starmie told him despairingly. The rest of the group looked before crossing, and they all safely made it to the other side.

'That's my home! That tree there!' Igglybuff squealed happily, pointing at a large nearby tree. As if hearing his voice, a male Wigglytuff and a female Jigglypuff floated down from the branches and landed in front of the group.

'Igglybuff!' the Jigglypuff cried in delight.

'Mummy!' Igglybuff exclaimed, rushing over and hugging her. Wigglytuff was looking at the group of pokemon curiously, before he figured out what they had done.

'Thank you so much for bringing our son home safe' Wigglytuff said to them gratefully.

'It was our pleasure' Squirtle smiled at him.

'Maybe it was yours but it wasn't mine mate… oomph' Pidgeotto muttered, yelping when Beedrill elbowed him to quieten him. He scowled as she smirked, he'd have to watch out for her in the future. She may be his friend but she was also a pain in his feathery butt.

'If there is anything we can do to repay you, just name it' Jigglypuff beamed at the group that had helped her child.

'There's really no need ma'am' Goldeen smiled at her.

'I apologise for cutting this short, but the clock is saying it is ten minutes to five o'clock, we must get back to the pokemon centre!' Starmie warned them all. Jumping to attention, the entire group began running back in the direction they had come from.

'Goodbye Igglybuff! And don't wander off again!' Squirtle called back as he waved and ran as fast as he could. If Ash and Misty got back and found all of their pokemon gone, they were NOT going to be happy.

'Thank you Mr Squirtle! Thank you!' Igglybuff yelled after him, but it wasn't long before the pink family was out of sight.

…

'Come on! Come on!' Squirtle panted from the front of the group. They were nearly there, but they only had three minutes of their time left.

'We are! This is all your fault anyway! You found the kid!' Scyther reminded him as he buzzed overhead. He, Beedrill, Butterfree, and Pidgeotto were all flying; the others were all running, or flopping in the case of Magikarp and Goldeen. The pokemon centre was in sight, just across the road.

'Poliwag!' Squirtle shouted just as Poliwag was about to hop into the road. Squirtle jumped and managed to land in front of him, blocking Poliwag's path.

'Oh no you don't, not three times in one day!' he said, stopping Poliwag from moving. They quickly looked left and right, before darting across once sure the road was safe. They reached the pokemon centre's back garden, _just_ as a clock-tower in the distance chimed five o'clock. They let out a sigh of relief. Just in time!

'Phew, that was close' Butterfree panted for breath. No sooner had he said it did the doors to the pokemon centre open, and Ash and Misty walked out.

'Hi guys, did you have a nice day relaxing?' Ash asked them brightly.

'No we did not!' Pidgeotto shouted at him. His whole afternoon, gone! All because of some dumb Igglybuff! It wasn't fair at all! But of course, Ash couldn't understand him and took his cry as a 'yes' to his question.

'Great… huh, whoa! Kakuna, you evolved into Beedrill!' Ash cried in shock as he spotted Beedrill.

'Indeed I did Ash' she buzzed happily at him.

'That's awesome, well done' Ash beamed at her, not being able to understand her of course but proud of her none the less.

'We've got a surprize inside for you all' Misty beamed at them, leading the way indoor. The pokemon all slowly followed their trainers into a private room that Nurse Joy had allowed them to use for their surprize. Set upon a table in the centre of the room was a giant cake, cream sponge with bright pink icing. It looked fantastic!

'Poke-cake, a tasty treat for both humans AND pokemon!' Misty told them, and all the pokemon licked their lips in anticipation.

'And look over there' Ash added with a grin of his own, pointing at another table by the window. On it was several items, all of the wrapped in colourful paper, obviously presents, and for all the pokemon!

'We got you all an item each that we think will help you guys get stronger, but for now, dig in guys! You deserve it for being the best pokemon we could ask for' Misty said happily and all the pokemon cheered in delight, before rushing to get a piece of that cake.

Their day of relaxation may have been unintentionally spoiled by an unexpected new friend, but the rewards they got simply for being themselves more than made up for that fact.

**...**

**And there's my first pokemon special. **

**Yay! Butterfree and Beedrill are finally together : ) I heavily hinted at a relationship between them in the last few chapters, but here we finally see it starting : ) **

**A few reviews about the last chapter. Someone said that they'd research the pokemon egg. It is a pokemon that appeared during the anime, Ash was helping it, plus it is a johto pokemon and is green, and grows to be very strong : ) Hope those clues help narrow it down, but I won't say if you're right : )**

**Now, I would really like everyone who reads this to leave a review telling me what they think about this chapter. I've got a few more pokemon based chapters in mind, and I'm even considering on writing a companion piece for this based on the pokemon at Professor Oak's Lab. So pretty please, everyone that reads this, please leave a me review for this chapter to let me know if I should write some more like this : ) Thank you all for reading! Oh, and any more pokemon suggestions are always accepted and thought on : )**


	12. Training for the First Badge

**Hello! As promised, a training chapter before we finally get to the gym. Not my most action-pack chapter but necessary none the less : ) Let me know what you think, and please remember, Pokemon is not mine : ) Enjoy!**

**...**

**Training for the First Badge**

'And that's the whole story' Ash was saying, a large grin plastered over his face.

'I'm proud of you Ash, not many trainers will a tournament like that, and even fewer get to care for an egg so early on in their journey. Just remember to keep it warm, and when it hatches, don't be surprized if the pokemon inside sees you, or whoever it first sees, as their parent' Dom beamed at his son from the screen.

Ash was in the pokemon centre, catching up with his father at the lab. Since the tournament had ended so late, and the next day Ash and Misty had got caught up in their celebratory party, the following morning had been Ash's first opportunity to call his father and tell him about his victory.

Dom was very proud of him. It had taken him months to be able to find and care for a pokemon egg. It had hatched into a Machop, the same Machop which had turned into his champion fighter Machamp. He had asked to see the egg, and when Ash had held it up to the screen, Dom had immediately recognised it. He hadn't told Ash though; it would be more exciting for the young boy to discover the species when it hatched.

'It know dad, I've got the book you bought me in by backpack, Mom packed it for me' Ash grinned at him as he rubbed the egg which he had taken to carrying around everywhere in its harness.

'So, any thoughts about your gym battle yet?' Dom changed the subject.

'I don't know. The leader's a rock type trainer, so obviously Squirtle is my best choice' Ash replied. Dom smiled at the confidence Ash had in his knowledge. He sure had learnt a lot in those years Dom had tutored him.

'True, but I'd have a back-up in case. Hold on just a tick…' Dom said, turning away from the screen, and judging by the clicking noise in the background, Ash guessed that his father was typing into a keyboard.

'Right, pokemon registered to Ash Ketchum, Squirtle, Magikarp, Butterfree, Beedrill, Pidgeotto, and Scyther. Now based on their move sets, I'd say either your Butterfree or your Scyther would be good back-ups for Squirtle. Or maybe you should keep your Squirtle back and let one of your other pokemon go first' Dom said thoughtfully.

'What if I need more than two pokemon?' Ash couldn't help but ask.

'You won't. Although a gym leader is free to use however many pokemon they want, the Pewter City gym is the first that most new trainers cross, and so the leader has only ever used two pokemon. But say that it did come up; I'd consider your Pidgeotto. I know flying types aren't great against rock types but from everything you've told me, your Pidgeotto has determination and guts and that can play an important part of pulling off a victory' Dom advised.

'But you don't have to worry about any of this yet' Dom suddenly said, he tone quite stern.

'I don't?' Ash blinked in confusion.

'Nope, since you won't be challenging the gym leader yet. If you really want my advice Ash, put your battle off for at least another two weeks' Dom said firmly, and Ash's eyes widened.

'Two weeks?! What for?' Ash demanded. Whilst he was all for staying in the city for a little while, it would cost a small fortune to keep his centre room for all that time, plus anytime they stayed after their gym battles. He'd have to fight his way through a whole platoon of trainers to get his fund up again!

'And that's minimum. I have every confidence in your abilities Ash, but even if I didn't I'd tell you the same thing. You're a rookie trainer, and whilst your little team has all the building blocks to becoming unbeatable, they're a long way off yet' Dom said, and Ash frowned.

'Hey, I did win the tournament you know, and I beat Team Rocket, and the Samurai, and Gary, twice, and Mel' Ash listed on his fingers indignantly. After all for a trainer of his stature, his record was pretty impressive.

'True, but you also lost to Misty' Dom reminded him. He wasn't saying all this to be mean; that was definitely NOT his intention. He just knew how bad it felt to challenge a gym and lose because you didn't prepare enough, and he wanted to help his son avoid that if it was possible.

'She trained at a gym!' Ash protested. Of course she was going to be tougher than the average trainer!

'Exactly, and she's not even a gym leader. She's a gym trainer, and they're strong enough as it is, and the leader is even stronger. You need to be at the top of your game Ash, and you can't do that if you don't take your time to do things right, trust me son, I made that mistake, I just don't want you to so the same' Dom said softly.

'I suppose, thanks dad. What should I do for the next two weeks then?' Ash wanted to know.

'Train, as much as you can. Focus on your Squirtle; you'll need him to be your powerhouse. Of course you can train with your other pokemon too but I'd really focus on Squirtle, and maybe Butterfree and Scyther slightly more than the others. Oh, and I know the perfect place you can train, one of my secret spots' Dom beamed.

'Secret spots?' Ash blinked, perplexed.

'Yep! Secret Spots! When I travelled around Kanto, I tended to go off the beaten path quite a bit. It helped me to find a lot of pokemon that are harder to track down, plus it offered a lot of secluded training spots in which to train intensely without anyone else to disturb you. There's one right by Pewter City, it's perfect for you Ash' Dom grinned.

'Great Dad! Where is it?' Ash beamed at him.

'Well, a good trainer should find things for themselves, but since it's your first badge on the line, I'll help you out. Don't get used to it though Ash, there's a lot of things you should do which I can't guide you through' Dom warned. After all, the last thing he wanted was to dictate Ash's journey for him. Ash needed to live it for himself, plus it would make him lazy if Dom provided a solution every time Ash needed one. This would be a one off thing Dom quickly decided.

'At the north of the city there's an old oak tree with two D's etched into it. Turn left and keep walked for nearly a mile through the trees. There's a large rocky clearing and some caves hidden between a clump of really tall trees. Perfect for training water pokemon. There are some small ponds and caverns in the caves too, so maybe you should consider taking Misty along. I'm sure there'll be some water pokemon for her to catch. As for you, focus on your Squirtle. There's a lot of Geodude in though caves, and as long as you don't overdo it, you can challenge them to battles. They enjoy battling a lot, so just ask them if they want to battle. It'll really help you help Squirtle get stronger' Dom explained slowly as Ash made some notes on a small notebook Delia had packed for him.

'Geodude? Cool, maybe I should catch one' Ash said enthusiastically.

'For now Ash, I'd focus on Squirtle. You can always go back after you've won your badge and try to catch one then. Oh, and remember that any pokemon you catch now will automatically be sent back to me and Professor Oak here in Pallet Town' Dom added.

'Oh I know! Now, what letters were on the tree again?' Ash asked to confirm.

'Two Ds' Dom smiled. Dominic and Delia. Not that he was going to tell his son that that tree was there's. He was just thankful that there wasn't a heart around it, or else Ash might put the pieces together.

'Thanks a lot Dad, I'll work really hard and I'll call you in a few days to let you know how everything's going' Ash smiled at him.

'Oh and Ash!' Dom called before his son could cut the connection.

'Yeah?' Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Good luck' Dom grinned and Ash laughed before he ended the call.

'Hey Misty!' he turned and called across the room. She was standing by the corner, chatting with a guy roughly their age that was getting his pokemon healed up. She quickly bid farewell to the trainer and walked over to Ash, who was heading towards the door.

'What's up?' she asked curiously.

'Got a plan for the day. My dad just told me about some secret place he used to train his pokemon. he said it would be the perfect place to train our pokemon for our first gym badge. Oh, and he also said that you should check out these caves he mentioned, he thinks there could be water pokemon in them' Ash explained as they stepped out of the doors and into the bright sunny street of Pewter.

'Awesome, so where is it?' Misty beamed at her friend for this juicy nugget of information

'I've got directions' Ash grinned as he began to led the way. Since they had done most of the 'getting lost in the big city' thing when they had given their pokemon the day off, they had a fairly good idea on their around the city now. for example, they knew where the gym was, where a lot of take outs were, where there was an old museum which Ash wanted to go see before they left town, and how to get back to the pokemon centre.

It was long before they had reached the north of the city, and that's were their search started. There were quite a lot of oak trees around the area, forming a thick forest that was surrounding the city. Why anybody would try walking through it was beyond Ash, but his dad was right, go in there and they were guaranteed total privacy. The perfect place to train pokemon uninterrupted.

'So what are we looking for again?' Misty asked him, seeing nothing in the slightest unusual about any of the tree before her.

'My dad said that the tree had two Ds on it, and then we have to walk left for nearly a mile' Ash repeated what his dad had told him.

'Two Ds… two Ds…Two Ds!' Misty cried, pointing at a large knotted tree trunk. Ash rushed over and saw that she was right. Two large jaggedly shaped Ds were craved into the bark of the tree. He vaguely wondered what they stood for, before shrugging it off, it hardly mattered.

'Come on them!' Ash beamed, extremely excited now by the thought of training in a secret place that most people didn't know about.

'Which way?' Misty asked, looking around.

'This way' Ash said, turning on the spot until he was facing the right direction. After that he was running. Misty rolled her eyes fondly at his endless energy, before she was off like a flash after him, the two of them running wildly through the trees.

…

'Whoa' Ash breathed as he took in the sight before him.

'Yeah…' Misty whispered, just as awed as Ash was. They had, without a doubt, found the spot Dom had been directing them too. And it was beautiful. A wide open enclosure with sand and dirt covering the ground instead of grass. Thick trees and vast bushes formed a thick vegetative wall around them, and large rocky domes easily reaching twenty feet high had formed, with large hollow caves inside them. Ash's dad had been right; it was the ideal place for them to train, especially with water pokemon.

'It's gorgeous here' Ash said wonderingly.

'It sure is. I guess that's because so few people realise it's here' Misty said as realisation hit her.

'Which means we can train here for as long as we like without disturbing anybody!' Ash beamed at the thought. He quickly detached a pokeball from his belt and let out the pokemon inside.

'Squirtle!' (Hey Ash!) Squirtle greeted his trainer cheerfully.

'Squirtle, you're in luck. Today we're going to start intensive training, one-on-one time with just you so you'll be ready for our gym battle in two-weeks, so let's get started. First give me fifteen push-ups' Ash ordered, and Squirtle looked at him with wide eyes, before the water pokemon grinned and assumed the correct position, pressing down and then up, holding up his own weight. Misty smiled slightly as Squirtle managed to do five press-up with hardly any effort.

'Well Ash, I'm off into the caves. Hopefully I'll be able to find a new water pokemon to catch in there' Misty said optimistically.

'Ok Misty, we'll meet up at the pokemon centre for dinner tonight' Ash suggested, and after a quick nod, Misty entered one of the caves alone. Ash turned back to observe Squirtle, who was on his tenth press-up, before Ash shrugged. He removed the harness with his pokemon egg and stowed the precious egg in his backpack, before he got down and did fifteen press-ups himself. His father had always said that a good way of bonding with pokemon was to work-out with them, plus it couldn't hurt Ash to get a little fitter. It was tougher than it looked, but both human and pokemon were able to manage a full fifteen.

'That was just the warm up though, so let's do three laps around these caves' Ash panted but was determined to make this work-out as effective as he possible could. And so with barely a moment's hesitation, Ash and Squirtle set off running around the outer perimeter of the caves.

…

Misty nervously turned a corner in the rocky caves. She wasn't afraid; ok… maybe she was a little, bit just a tiny bit. The caves were very dark, and even with the torch she kept in her bag, she was having a little trouble seeing a few feet ahead of her.

She could hear the sound of trickling water though, and judging by the small beads of moisture running down the rocks, this cave did in fact have an underground water supply passing through it, causing there to be small springs scatter around the caves. She had explored several caves like these before she had met Ash, so she knew how to use the natural signs to find water in the dark, and so it wasn't long after she had entered did Misty find the ideal place to stop.

She had felt the cave sloop down heavily, and so she knew she was far underground now, but as long as she didn't stay down there for too long she wouldn't experience any problems with the air supply, despite it being a bit thinner than at ground level.

She quickly set down her bag and brought out her fishing rod and some bait, before casting the line into the underground pool of water she had found. Setting herself down, she patiently waited for something to latch onto her line. All she could do now was hope that today was the day she'd be adding a fifth member to her team.

…

'Ok…ok… that's enough… of the pull-ups' Ash groaned as his body slumped slightly, exhausted. He and Squirtle had been working on physical exercise for nearly an hour now, and they had been using thick tree branches which were able to hold their weights without breaking to do some pull-ups.

Ash was tired now, he wasn't used to this type of workout, but he was going to be, because during that time Ash had been talking to Squirtle about… everything. He had told his partner what he wanted to get out of his journey, what types of stuff he had learnt whilst at home, and in return, he had been asking questions with required a yes or a no to answer, so that he could find out more about Squirtle despite not really being able to understand him.

For example, he had learnt that his Squirtle did in fact want to evolve all the way to Blastoise. Some Pokémon didn't, and Ash felt it was only right to ask the pokemon first, since it was their body and their life really, trainers should have the right to decide for it. He had long since decided to back a pokemon in their decision about evolution. And since his Squirtle did, he was going to help him in any way he could. He had also learnt that Squirtle really wanted to meet a lot of different types of pokemon, not just the ones he had met at the lab. So Ash was determined more than ever to go out into hard to find spots like this just so that Squirtle could meet some new friends.

Ash smiled. They had only been together for a few weeks but already they were so close. He could only imagine how close they would be by the time the pokemon league came around. Of course he was also trying to imagine how much more powerful they'd be by then too.

'I think… we should… focus on… your attacks now…argh' Ash panted for air. Squirtle chuckled slightly. He was hardly tired at all, but then again, he was a pokemon, his endurance was much higher than Ash's.

'Squirtle' (Wimp!) Squirtle chortled good-naturedly.

'So let's see… first try and hold you Muddy Water attack for as long as you can' Ash ordered, using his watch to time how long Squirtle could keep it going for. Squirtle began firing a jet of brown water at one of the nearby rocks and kept the spray going for as long as he could.

But when it became too much he was forced to stop and take a deep breath, replacing the air in his lungs which had been depleted by the formation of the Muddy Water.

'Not bad Squirtle, not bad at all, ninety seconds. We're just getting started though, so let's try again, and this time take a deeper breath first. Get as much air in your lungs as possible' Ash encouraged his pokemon. Squirtle took a deep breath, causing his chest to puff out, before he fired another Muddy Water at the same rock. More and more brown water kept coming, and this time Squirtle managed to last ten seconds longer.

'Good job, you lasted a hundred seconds that time! I think the best way to do this is to strengthen your lungs, so let's give it another two laps around the caves before we try again' Ash said regretfully. Of course he was going to work as hard as he could with Squirtle, but all this running… it was going to kill him!

Soon both Ash and Squirtle were off running around the caves again, both pushing their aching muscles onwards. It was the only way they were going to get better after all.

…

Misty nearly jumped out of skin when suddenly her float was sucked beneath the water. She had been patiently reflecting to herself on how best to use these next two weeks to train her own pokemon. She had decided when Ash had told her about his father's advice that she too would follow it, and so she too was going to train full time for the next fortnight. That way she'd be ready for anything that came her way at the rock type gym.

But all thoughts of training were driven from her head as she felt the pull on her rod, and using all her strength, Misty tugged the line back, beaming when she saw a pokemon on the end of the hook and not just a rock like she had been half-expecting. She slammed the pokemon to the ground, putting herself between it and the pool, although it didn't really look capable of getting back to the water anyway.

The pokemon was rather doozy looking if Misty were being honest, but it was still very cute. It was a black pearl like creature, with a hard shell wrapped around it, bright purple in colour, giving the pokemon the shape of a clam. The pearl body had two wide white eyes and a long red tongue which protruded all the way out of the purple shell. She knew what it was immediately. The pokemon was a Shellder.

'Alright a Shellder! Time to battle Poliwag!' she cried, letting her newest pokemon out for the battle against what would hopefully be her latest capture. Poliwag appeared before her, narrowing his eyes at Shellder.

'Shell' (A Battle?) the Shellder frowned slightly.

'Poliwag! Poli! Wag!' (I'm not going to lose Misty!) Poliwag said excitedly, bouncing up and down as he normally did.

'You're really up for this one huh?' Misty looked down at her pokemon, who nodded eagerly in response. Misty grinned, it was always good to have a pokemon with battling spirit, and her Poliwag had plenty of spirit if nothing else!

'Great! Then let's start off with Ice Ball!' she cried. Poliwag's lips turned blue before an icy bubble formed and swelled up, before it hardened into a chunk of ice. Poliwag hurled it at the Shellder, who merely closed her shell to protect herself from damage.

She opened up again after a moment, and stuck her tongue back out, making it seem as though she was taunting Poliwag, despite the fact that she genuinely wasn't intending too.

In response to Poliwag's attack, a small rippling orb of water formed on Shellder's tongue, before she fired it at Poliwag, knocking the small pokemon back but thanks to his Water Absorb, he didn't take any damage.

'Wow, that was a Water Pulse. Poliwag, Water Gun!' Misty ordered, and Poliwag began firing a beam of water at Shellder, who once again slammed her shell shut. Her defences were awesome, but Misty wasn't about to let it beat her.

'Use Bubble to get her to open again!' Misty ordered. Poliwag ran up close and began pounding the purple shellfish pokemon with his bubble attack, the minor explosions eventually getting to her and causing her shell to open so she could return fire.

'Hypnosis!' she cried, and the pattern on Poliwag's belly began spinning, and Shellder's eyes began to drift shut slightly. The wild pokemon quickly shook herself, and before Poliwag could finish his attack, she blew out a cold breath and an Icicle formed on her tongue, which she stabbed Poliwag with like a spear. She formed another two icicles, one after the other, and fired them like darts at Poliwag.

'Whoa, that Shellder knows Icicle Spear too! Poliwag, fire off your fastest Ice Ball!' Misty cried, and before she could even blink, Poliwag had blown up the Ice Ball and fired it at Shellder. The wild pokemon didn't have enough time since Poliwag was so close to her, and the Ice Ball wedged her shell wide open. She couldn't close it now!

'Nice work Poliwag! Now, use Bubble!' Misty yelled, and Poliwag fired bubble after bubble at the Shellder, trying his best to end it now. but Shellder wasn't down yet. She strained to close her shell, and eventually managed to shatter the ice holding her shell open. She glared at Poliwag.

'Try your Hypnosis again!' Misty ordered, and once again Poliwag tried to put the wild pokemon to sleep. But once again, Shellder refused to let that happen. She used her tongue to reach into the back of her own shell, and brought out a large rock. She placed it in her mouth and spat it at Poliwag.

'Wag!' (Argh!)

'Rock Blast too! That Shellder's awesome, but she's not getting away. Poliwag, nice work, return, Starmie, you're up!' Misty called, returning Poliwag and within moment, Starmie was in his place.

'Urrr' (Ready)

'Starmie, Water Gun! Follow up with Psychic!' Misty ordered. Starmie hit Shellder with a large blast of water, which the wild pokemon defended against by closing her shell again, before the starfish had the shellfish hovering in the air in a blue aura. From inside her shell, Shellder tried to open it too fight back, but Starmie's powers were keeping it firmly shut.

'Now! Pokeball, go!' Misty cried, throwing an empty pokemon at the Shellder. The shellfish was pulled inside and Starmie let the blue aura vanish as the pokeball shook as Shellder fought it. In the end, Shellder prevailed. The pokeball snapped open and flew back to Misty's hand, the capture a failure.

'Still going eh, I like that Shellder, she's got spark, but so do you Starmie, Ice Beam, then break her out and bounced her with Psychic' Misty ordered. Starmie fired off an Ice Beam which Shellder try to shield herself against by once again retreating into her shell. A huge block of ice formed around her, before Starmie's psychic powers tore it apart and Shellder was floating in an aura again.

'NOW!' Misty shouted. Starmie flung Shellder up the cave roof and Shellder hit it hard, before Starmie sent her bouncing into one of the walls, before slamming her off another. Finally, Shellder hit the floor, exhausted now. Misty grinned. This was her chance!

'Let's have you this time, Pokeball, go!' she cried, and Shellder was once again pulled into the pokeball. The ball continued to struggled, before it dinged shut and locked, Shellder had given in, and Misty was now her trainer.

'YES! I CAUGHT A SHELLDER!' Misty cheered loudly, laughing when her voice echoed around off the cave walls. She rushed forwards and picked up the pokeball, whilst using her other hand to dig into her pockets. She pulled out three pokeballs, holding them between her fingers.

'Right, come on out gang!' she cried, letting Staryu, Goldeen, and Poliwag out next to Starmie.

'Everyone, I'd like you to mean our new teammate and friend, Shellder!' she beamed, and in another flash of light, Shellder appeared before all the other water pokemon.

'Hello Shellder, my name is Misty, and this is my team of pokemon, and from now on, you're a member of our team too' Misty greeted it. Shellder looked up at Misty for a moment, before she waved with her tongue, since she was unable to smile with her giant tongue.

'Shell!' (Greetings everyone) she said to both her new trainer, and new pokemon friends.

'Poliwag!' (Hey there)

'Urrr' (Nice to meet you)

'Goldeen, Gol' (Pleased to make your acquaintance)

'He-Ya!' (A pleasure)

'Hey, you guys already like each other! That's great! Well, return for now everyone!' Misty beamed as she recalled all five of her pokemon. She grinned as they were all pulled back inside. Five pokemon! One more and she'd have a full team! She'd have to remember to say thanks to Ash's father when she finally met him.

With a new friend in toe, Misty collected up her fishing rod and her bag and began the walk out of the cave, her spirits higher than they had ever been before.

…

'Nice one Squirtle! Well done!' Ash cheered happily as his partner managed to keep his Muddy Water attack going for two minutes and thirty seconds.

'You've improved by a whole minute, that's amazing!' Ash patted Squirtle's head.

'Squirtle!' (That Awesome!) Squirtle grinned, proud of himself.

'So how do you feel about battling some Geodude in the caves now?' Ash asked cheerfully.

'Squirtle!' (Sounds good) Squirtle nodded, and laughing happily, the two of them entered the cave, Ash bringing out his torch as he went.

'Now all we need is to find a…' Ash started but was cut off.

'Geodude!' (A Human?) a gruff voice said, and turning the torch around, it fell on the owner of the voice. Ash instantly recognised it. It was a small but bulky rock like creature with white stern eyes and a gapping mouth, and had a muscular arm on either side, giving it awesome throwing and punching abilities.

'There's a Geodude! Hey there, would you like to battle us?' Ash asked it politely.

'Dude!' (Sure!) The Geodude nodded and Ash beamed.

'Ok, Squirtle, Bubble attack!' Ash ordered, holding the torch on Geodude to allow his pokemon to be able to see it at all times. Squirtle fired a wave of Bubbles at the Geodude, who yelp in pain but wasn't about to let it knock him out yet.

'Geodude!' (Battle on!) He cried as he bounced forwards and used his Tackle on Squirtle.

'Muddy…huh?' Ash blinked as Squirtle fired off a jet of crystal clear; in fact it was sparkling, pure water. It hit the Geodude head on and sent it flying into the cave wall. It wasn't out cold, but it had no strength left to battle.

'Whoa, that was Water Gun! Well done Squirtle, you learnt Water Gun!' Ash grinned ear to ear.

'Squirtle!' (Yes! Yes!) Squirtle cried, dumping a fist pump.

'You're really getting tougher from all this training, and ii hasn't even been a full day yet! I can't wait to see you by the end of these two weeks!' Ash grinned happily at him.

'Thanks for the match Geodude' Ash waved at the pokemon they'd been battling, but before he could so much as take a step forward, and hand grabbed his leg lightly, and looking down, Ash saw another Geodude there.

'You wanna battle too?' Ash asked it kindly, and the Geodude nodded. Ash grinned. it seemed as though you only had to battle one Geodude before there was a full horde of them wanting a battle to help them get stronger. And Ash and Squirtle were more than happy to help them, seeing as they wanted to get much stronger too.

…

'Alright Squirtle, that was awesome!' Ash cheered Squirtle on as he defeated yet another Geodude. They weren't too high in level in this cave it seemed, and so Squirtle had no problem battling he way through nineteen of them in a row. And all the Geodude had started to watch Squirtle battling, so he was even more pumped to see that he had an audience supporting him.

'DUDE! GEODUDE!' (Human, I challenge you!) A new voice rumbled loudly. Ash and Squirtle turned away from their new Geodude training partners, and both human and pokemon eye's widened at the sight.

There, on the other side of the cave they were in, positioned on a raised rock was another Geodude, but it was _massive. _It wasn't monstrous of anything, but in comparison to the other Geodude, it was huge. Ash estimated that it was fully grown by his calculation, and whilst the other Geodude had been a good work-out for Squirtle, he just knew that this Geodude was going to be a _lot_ tougher.

This one was tricky, he just knew it. The Geodude's eyes were giving that insight away. Ash could tell that this Geodude had trained tirelessly against any number of trainers that had found this spot, either that or it trained against the other Geodude. Either way, this one was going to put up a fight.

'You want to battle us?' Ash grinned at it. The Geodude nodded, before it floated down to the ground a few metres away from Squirtle. Judging by the way it had landed in _exactly_ the right position of an official trainer battle, Ash guessed it was by battling trainers that the Geodude had got so strong.

'Ok Geodude! Me and Squirtle are working on levelling up! So let's see how you do against us' Ash grinned challengingly at it.

'Geo! Dude! Dude! Geodude!' (I am the strongest Geodude in these caves! I shall not fall to you!) The Geodude declared, flexing his muscular arms. Ash frowned slightly. He had no doubt that that Geodude was going to be a challenge, and so to prepare himself for said challenge, he quickly brought out his pokedex and pointed it at Geodude.

The pokedex itself was much more useful when dealing with a wild pokemon for situations like this. Since trainers could teach their pokemon Special Moves and use HMs and TMS, or they could teach them moves themselves without levelling up, the move scanner couldn't work properly on captured pokemon, there were just too many variables for it to identify their move set accurately. But on wild pokemon, it could, by calculating their level and gender. Perfect for knowing exactly what a wild training buddy could throw at you.

'Species - Geodude

Nickname – None Registered

Gender – Male

Level – 15

Learnt Move-Set – Tackle, Rock Throw, Magnitude

Egg Move-Set – Mega Punch, Hammer Arm

Registered Information - At rest, it looks just like a rock. Carelessly stepping on it will make it swing its fists angrily' the automated voice informed Ash.

His eyes widened slightly as he put his pokedex back in his pocket and quickly tried to think of a strategy. That Geodude was packing some serious fire power, but thankfully, Ash had some serious 'water power' on his side. He was just grateful that Squirtle had managed to gain enough experience to learn Water Gun. It would really be very helpful here.

'You can go first' Ash offered to be polite, and the wild Geodude turn that offer up.

'Geodude!' he cried, grabbing hold of a rock bigger than Geodude himself, before he hurled it at Squirtle like a wrecking ball. Squirtle _just_ dodged the speeding boulder, causing it to hit the wall instead with a loud boom. It was actually _lodged_ in the cave wall! That Geodude was strong! All the other Geodude, who had moved to the back of the cave to watch the battle, cheered loudly. It was clear that they all admired and respected that big Geodude.

'A Rock Throw… Squirtle, Bubble!' Ash cried. Squirtle opened his mouth wide and fired a barrage of bursting bubbles at the rock pokemon, but he merely rolled up into a ball and rolled to safety. Ash's mouth dropped. That was such a clever trick for a wild pokemon to use! It had taken him hours of work with Squirtle for him to be able to roll in his shell like that!

'Damn this Geodude is smart… but so are we, Squirtle, Water Gun!' Ash decided to see how Squirtle's newest attack would fare against their latest battler. Squirtle opened his mouth again, but this time launched a crystal clear beam of water which as much pressure as a jet wash, i.e.… a lot.

The Geodude winced slightly as the attack hit him, drenching him, but to Ash's astonishment, it barely did any damage to the Geodude HP. It was resistant to water type attacks too!

'It's so strong, it must train endlessly' Ash said in awe as Geodude went on the attack. The small but powerful rock type slammed his hands into the ground and the entire cave began shaking. Ash's legs wobbled and it began a challenge just to stay on his feet. Squirtle wasn't so lucky and ended up on his back, rocking back and forth, his arms and legs flailing helplessly as he tried to roll over, off his rounded shell.

'Magnitude' Ash noted as suddenly, much to his relief, Geodude ended the minor earthquake, before he was bouncing rapidly towards Squirtle, who was still on his back, trying to right himself.

'GEODUDE!' (VICTORY) the rock pokemon bellowed as his fist glowed white with energy. He was using his Mega Punch attack whilst Squirtle was completely immobile. He brought it down on Squirtle at such speed Ash hadn't even had time to yell out Squirtle's name. Squirtle screamed in pain as Geodude's Mega Punch connected with his belly, and before the assault had even ended, Squirtle was unconscious.

'Squirtle!' Ash cried in shock as all the Geodude began clapping and cheering.

'Geodude!' (I rock you!) Geodude declared proudly as Ash ran over to his fallen partner and scooped him into his arms. Squirtle moaned feebly, and so Ash, whilst offering him word of comfort, returned him to the confines of his pokeball.

'Geodude, you're got to be the toughest wild pokemon I've seen on my travels!' Ash told him earnestly.

'Geodude, Dude, Geo, Geo, Dude!' (Thank you human, it took hard work to earn that title) Geodude said modestly, offering Ash his hand. Ash looked at it a little hesitantly, but took it and shook the pokemon's hand. He was surprized that a hand that could easily crush his was capable of also being so light fingers.

'I would really like to battle you again. How about tomorrow, I'm working on training Squirtle and you are a very serious challenge' Ash asked politely. Geodude looked thoughtful for a moment, before he grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

'Dude! Dude! Geodude! Dude!' (I would like that; I wish to become even stronger too! We can help each other!) The rock pokemon smiled.

'Ok, Well, I'm going to head back to the city, but I'll be back tomorrow to train with Squirtle again, so I'll be here when you want to battle' Ash smiled, and when the Geodude nodded, Ash turned and left the cave. He couldn't believe it; his water pokemon had really just lost to a rock pokemon!

His dad was right; he really needed to work harder on training Squirtle. If a wild pokemon could be so powerful, a gym leader's pokemon had to be even stronger! He needed to use every moment of the next few weeks to get Squirtle to his peak condition. So he was determined to have an early morning the next day. He was positive though, after that defeat, Squirtle was going to want some payback.

…

'Wow, I can't believe a wild Geodude could be strong enough to take down Squirtle' Misty said with wide eyes as Ash finished telling the story behind the battle. They were back at the pokemon centre. Ash had run back immediately and had found Misty there already. He had rushed over to the desk and Nurse Joy had gladly healed Squirtle for him. Now the two trainers were sitting in the dining room, having some stew for their evening meal. Misty had meanwhile told him the tale of her newest capture. Ash had been fascinated by seeing a Shellder in the flesh, and was happy for his friend by the addition of her newest teammate.

'But it was, and it worries me. How is Squirtle going to win at the gym if a wild pokemon can knock him down like that' Ash couldn't help but sound worried as he said the words.

'You just need to do some more training Ash, why, what's stopping you from getting stronger and stronger? Nothing is what' Misty said encouragingly.

'I guess so, thanks Misty. So what are you going to do tomorrow, are you coming back to the caves?' he wanted to know.

'Nope, I'm going to stay at here tomorrow. There's a pool out back so I'm going to work with all my pokemon at once' Misty told him as she drank the last of her stew. She yawned and stretched, she was more than ready to retire for the night.

'You look as tired as I feel, so I guess we should head on up to our rooms. I'm planning on getting a very early start tomorrow, so I'll probably be gone by the time you're awake. So I'll see you at dinner, ok?' Ash told her. He didn't want to worry his friend after all by just vanishing.

'Sure thing Ash. We'll compare training notes tomorrow then' Misty winked before she set down a tip on the table and they headed up the stairs to the second floor. They bid each other goodbye and headed to their separate rooms, where they quickly changed and got into their beds, wanting to be rested for another day of intense training tomorrow.

…

'Grrr… No! Squirtle!' Ash cried out as Squirtle hit the floor. He sighed as he consoled his pokemon and returned him to his pokeball. Like promised, Ash had gone back to the cave the next day, and had had another full day of training in both physical fitness and battle style, and whilst Squirtle had definitely got stronger, that Geodude was still too much for him.

So Ash had gone back the next day, and the next, and every day for a week, and still the Geodude had beat Squirtle, every single time. Eight times now to be exact. Eight battles in eight days and Squirtle still couldn't bring it down. It was amazing, such a strong pokemon, such a strong wild pokemon to boot!

'Well done again Geodude, you're really something you know' Ash smiled warmly at it. He rather enjoyed the battles against Geodude, even though he had yet to win. They had helped Squirtle gain a LOT of Exp points, plus he was now able to hold his water attacks for a full four minutes! It was great to see the improvement his partner was making through the past few days.

'Geodude, dude, dude, Geodude!' (You ain't so bad yourself Ash) the Geodude told him affectionately.

'Well, I guess I'll be back tomorrow, bye Geodude!' Ash smiled, waving to his friend before leaving the cave and heading back to the city.

…

'Right Geodude, this is our last battle. I'm challenging the gym tomorrow' Ash declared. Five more days had passed and Squirtle was at the top of his game. They'd spent the whole day training again, and now Squirtle had all his attacks sharpened to their peak. His Tackles could inflict damage on boulders now, his Muddy Water, Bubble, and Water Gun could smash rocks up, and his Rapid Spin could tear though them. The only thing they had yet to beat was that Geodude.

'If I win tomorrow, I'll be leaving the city, so this time, we're going to give this battle everything we have!' Ash said determinedly. Geodude was a little depressed that Ash wouldn't be coming anymore, he had really enjoyed having someone to work out against that posed a challenge, but he was hoping his friend would win all the same. He didn't want his new human friend to be sad by losing in his first gym match.

'Geodude! Dude! Dude! Geo! Geodude!' (I've won thirteen match, I'm about to make it fourteen!) Geodude grinned confidently.

'Alright go! Squirtle, use Water Gun!' Ash cried quickly, and Squirtle fired off a quick Water Gun. Geodude was splashed with the attack, but managed to endure it before fighting back. He flung himself at Squirtle and both his arms lit up both he try to hit Squirtle with them. This was his Hammer Arm attack, but Squirtle managed to use his Rapid Spin to dodge it.

'Bubble! Followed by Muddy Water!' Ash shouted. Squirtle hit the Geodude with a barrage of exploding bubbles, and whilst he shook them off, Squirtle hit him head on with a Muddy Water attack.

'Keep going Squirtle, pin him to the wall with it!' Ash ordered, and with an even bigger spray of water, Squirtle managed to push Geodude back and kept him there using the pressure of the water. Geodude was struggling though, he wasn't giving it to them easy, and soon he managed to break free.

He then set off a Magnitude attack, shaking the whole cave. Squirtle quickly used Rapid Spin to spin on the spot. Ash had eventually learned that the best way for Squirtle to defend against that particular attack was to have him spin in his shell and cancel out the toppling effects. Plus it made it harder for Geodude to hit him.

When Geodude stopped the attack, Squirtle stopped spinning and was back on his feet in seconds.

'Now! Water Gun!' Ash cried, and Squirtle fired off a large Water Gun, but once again, Geodude effortlessly dodged it. Squirtle had improved so much since that first battle. He was holding his own much better now, despite not being able to overcome the rock type pokemon.

Geodude then used Rock Throw, and Squirtle was forced to duck to avoid them. Using his distraction, Geodude came charging at Squirtle, but this time Ash was ready.

'NOW BUBBLE' he yelled as Geodude draw close. Squirtle, who had been watching the boulder's path, span around to face Geodude. Every time Squirtle had been distracted by Geodude's Rock Throw, he'd use Mega Punch to knock him out, well not this time!

And sure enough, Geodude's fist was glowing with the power of a Mega Punch, but this time Squirtle was the fastest, and he fired off a Bubble Attack at point blank range.

'Dude!' (Arrgh!) Geodude yelled out as he was sent flying backward. He hit the ground with a loud thud and Ash looked on in shock. Geodude wasn't unconscious… but he couldn't battle!

'ALRIGHT! Nice One Squirtle!' Ash beamed as he swept Squirtle up in his arms in a hug and span him around, laughing happy. They had finally done it! They had finally managed to beat Geodude! After two weeks of trying, they had finally done it!

'Squirtle, Squirtle!' (We did it! We did it!)

'Dude, Geodude, dude' (You are ready Ash) Geodude told him kindly.

'Thank you so much Geodude, you've really helped Squirtle get strong! I'm really going to miss you' Ash admitted.

'Dude, Geodude' (I will miss you too Ash. You've been a worth training partner) Geodude grinned up at him.

'I'll be leaving tomorrow, so I guess… well I guess this is goodbye my friend' Ash said, offering the Geodude his hand. Geodude smiled and shook it, and before long, Ash and Squirtle were leaving the caves in favour of the city.

'This is it Squirtle, one more night's sleep and then we face the gym leader. You're at the top of your game now, you can do it!' Ash said encouragingly to his partner.

'Squirtle! Squirtle!' ( You bet I can Ash, I won't let you down!) Squirtle nodded in agreement. They had no idea that as they went, they were being followed.

…

Geodude watched Ash leave the cave, and feeling something he had never felt before, he hopped out of the cave to follow him.

He had never met a human like Ash before. In fact, he had rarely met humans, but the ones he had, they had always wanted to capture him for his strength, but Ash hadn't. He had just wanted to be his friend, and he had just wanted to help his own partner get stronger through training, and that was why Geodude had been happy to battle him so many times.

And now he was leaving, the one good human he had met was hitting the road again, and Geodude just didn't feel ready to watch him go yet. The least he could do was watch Ash's battle against the gym leader, and that was exactly what he going to do. And so careful to avoid been seen, Geodude bounced after his friend towards the wide open city he had spent his life trying to avoid.

…

'So Ash, you finally ready for the match tomorrow?' Misty asked as she ran into him at the Pokémon Centre. She too had been working hard with her pokemon over the past fortnight, sometimes heading to the caves with Ash, and sometimes staying at the centre pool to work out with them. She was very pleased by the way her new Shellder was fitting into the team, and how strong they were all looking. She was very confident that tomorrow, she'd be walking away with her first gym badge.

'Oh yes! And once we've both won, we'll be hitting the road right?' Ash wanted to know.

'Oh, can't we wait a few more days. It'd be nice to actually explore the city a little bit first before we leave, plus there's that museum you wanted to visit' Misty suggested instead.

'Well I guess one more day won't hurt, but then we'll head to Mt Moon, right?' Ash asked to confirm. Misty nodded happily, and smiling broadly, the two of them headed to the dining room to get some dinner. After they had finished eating, they both headed up to bed. After all they both wanted to be rested well for the next day. Tomorrow would mark their first steps on their path to pokemon league.

…

'Shaun, where have you been, I haven't heard from you in two weeks!' Shaun's father said as he answered his phone, finding it to be his son calling him.

'Ash and Misty have both been training tirelessly. I didn't really see much point in ringing you to tell you that' Shaun explained.

'Oh, I see. No much happening then?' his father asked.

'Well, other than Misty catching a Shellder, the only thing worth reporting is how strong Ash's Squirtle is now. I wouldn't be surprized if it evolved soon' Shaun replied.

'Well, I've got everything we'll be needing to deal with our plans for the museum, we just need to get them there' his father stated thoughtfully.

'That won't be a problem. I heard Ash saying he wanted to go a while ago, and now they'll be going there after tomorrow, but before they leave the city' Shaun told him.

'Perfect, well, you know where I am, come join me after tomorrow and then we'll put the place into motion' his father told him.

'I hope this work, if we end up in jail for this… well, there's nobody else to take over for us' Shaun pointed out.

'That's why we have Abra, to get us out quickly' his father reminded him, before he cut the call and Shaun sighed. He hoped this worked. This plan was even riskier than the last one! He just hoped Ash and Misty wouldn't see him. The last thing he needed was for them to see him again and recognised him. He shook his head. This mission with the Chosen One was going to get him killed before long!

**...**

**And there's chapter 12 : ) Now I know, not the most exciting chapter ever, in fact I decided to add Misty getting a Shellder just to make the chapter a little more interesting : ) Oh well, the next one should make up for it : ) I just felt that since Ash needs to be smarter for the challenge, he wouldn't go charging for the gym as soon as he got into town. No offense to Canon Ash, but luck helped him out a lot rather than actual talent, at least in the beginning. I mean, Squirtle's a lot stronger after this chapter, he'll be able to hold his own against Brock's Onix now and I just couldn't see him managing before : )**

**Soon, onto Reviews. Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, although more people were more interested in the egg than the actual content : ( But since we've reached other one hundred reviews and I'm in a good mood, I'll let the secret spill. You were all right! It's a Lavitar, yay! Yep, Ash having a Tyrannitar was set in the rules of the challenge and I felt this was the best way for him to get one. It won't hatch for a while yet though.**

**Also, a few people have asked about Ash getting pokemon from the other regions. I've decided that he will be able to get some, but mostly Kanto ones. I've got a few in mind already, plus of course, suggestions will always be appreciated and considered fairly.**

**Now, I've got some questions I'd really like to have your guys to have your own say in. I deliberately put in Geodude following Ash to watch his match. What should be the result of that? Should Ash catch him to take with him on his travels, or should Geodude return to his cave and that be the end of him?**

**Also, who do you think should challenge Brock first for their badge. Misty or Ash? This matters because it will affect the order of the rest of the matches. I can see them fairly doing it, so if Ash challenged this one first, Misty would get to go first next time and so on. So who do you want to go first?**

**Finally, did you guys like the last chapter. Do you want more Pokemon View chapters? I know I asked this last time but most people were pre-occupied by my clues about the egg. So did you guys like or didn't you? Should I do more? Please let me know seeing as a whole new story could be developed depending on this ; )**

**Finally, a bit of shameless promotion : ) I've started yet another story, this one is called Foreknowledge is Power and is Harry Potter based. Please feel free to check it and tell me what you think : ) I hope you enjoyed and please pretty please answer those questions as it will really help me with this story and they motivate me to bring the next chapter out quicker, thank you : )**


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